Sudanese Held With 114 Kgs of Sandalwood At Shamshabad Airport

HYDERABAD: A Sudanese man who made an attempt to smuggle 114 kgs of sandalwood from Hyderabad's Shamshabad airport to Khartoum was detained by customs officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad on Friday.

According to reports, the Sudanese, who was to take a flight to Khartoum, brought several boxes in which he packed 114 kgs of sandalwood sticks. During baggage scan, the Customs officials noticed suspicious sticks inside the boxes. He was immediately isolated and in the subsequent physical checking of his baggage, the officials were shocked to find a whole lot of Sandalwood sticks in the boxes. The customs authorities are yet to disclose the identity of the man who was being questioned.

In an earlier similar case, Delhi airport officials arrested three persons in December 2019 for trying to smuggle red sandalwood out of the country. The Hong Kong-bound passengers were caught at the Indira Gandhi International Airport with around 127 kgs of red sandalwood.

In another past incident, a man who tried to smuggle ganja (marijuana) was detained by the officers of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA). A large amount of marijuana and cash were sezied from him on October 26, 2019.