Western Railway Vigilance team seizes 93 kg of red sandalwood from Jaipur-Mumbai train, arresting the accused | File Photo
Mumbai: In a crackdown on illegal activities, the Vigilance team of Western Railway has successfully detected and apprehended a 93 kg red sandalwood being transported by train at Mumbai Central station.
“During a special preventive check that lasted over 12 hours, the Vigilance team targeted the leased parcel van of Train No. 12956 Jaipur – Mumbai Central Superfast Express. Upon inspection, four suspicious packages were discovered recently, which were found to contain 15 wooden logs of red sandalwood, weighing almost 93 kg” said an official of WR.
“The consignment was falsely declared under legitimate parcel bookings to evade detection. The consignee was apprehended, and both the illegal goods and the culprit were handed over to the Forest Department for further investigation and legal proceedings” further added official.
Red sandalwood is a highly valued commodity with restricted trade due to its protected status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Smuggling of red sandalwood is a serious offense, and the Western Railway’s Vigilance team has demonstrated its commitment to preventing such illegal activities.
The official stated that Vigilance and Security checks will continue to be intensified to prevent any misuse of railway resources for unlawful activities. Passengers and stakeholders are urged to cooperate and report any suspicious activities to railway authorities to help maintain safety and integrity in rail transport.
