THAI-BOUND INDIANS HELD WITH 5 LITRES AGAR OIL, 125 KG AGARWOOD WORTH `1 CR

NEW DELHI: Three Thailand-bound passengers have been held at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying 125 kg of prohibited agarwood and five litres of agar oil worth Rs 1 crore, the CISF officials said on Friday.

Ikbal Hussain, Mohammed Akmam Uddin Ahmad and Mohammed Bahar Uddin, all residents of Assam, were bound for Bangkok by an Air India flight on Thursday.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) surveillance and intelligence personnel selected them for thorough checking in the departure area of the Terminal-3, Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The passengers along with their five bags were taken to a random checking point for thorough checking.

During X-ray screening of their bags, images showing some suspicious things were noticed.

On physical checking, the trolley bags were found filled with wooden chips packed in polythene bags, weighing about 125 kg and five litres oil.

On enquiry, the passengers confirmed that the wood is agarwood and oil is agar oil. They could not produce any

valid document.

Later, the passengers along with the recovered material worth approximately Rs 1 crore were handed over to the Customs officials for further legal action. Agarwood, also known as Oudh, is a fragrant dark resinous wood used

in incense, perfume, and small carvings. It is a prohibited item for export and is a species of timber listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which requires clearance from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.