Kolkata, March 27 (IANS) Red sanders wood estimated at Rs.3.5 crore was seized and 21 smugglers were apprehended Thursday in West Bengal in a joint operation by the Coast Guard and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), an official said.
Working on intelligence inputs, the Coast Guard and DRI team onboard a hovercraft apprehended a ship which was to smuggle the wood to Bangladesh through a riverine route.
The hovercraft later also intercepted a carrier boat with the consignment near Mandarmani in East Midnapore district, a Coast Guard spokesperson said.
Both vessels are being brought to Haldia port for interrogation of their occupants.
Both the seized goods weighing 6.5 tonnes and the smugglers will be handed over to police, the spokesperson said.