NEW DELHI:

In a swift security operation, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) detained an Afghan national at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi after he was caught attempting to smuggle prohibited aromatic timber out of the country.

The incident took place on Tuesday at Terminal-III of the IGI Airport. According to security officials, the passenger was scheduled to board a Kabul-bound Kam Air flight. During the routine pre-boarding security check, security personnel grew suspicious of his hand luggage during the X-ray screening process.

Upon thoroughly checking the baggage, authorities recovered 11 transparent jars packed with sandalwood. Exporting sandalwood in any format is strictly regulated or prohibited under Indian foreign trade policies.

"As per the export policy notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, the export of sandalwood in any form is prohibited, subject to tightly specified exceptions and conditions for certain finished and permitted forms," a CISF spokesperson explained.

Following the recovery, the passenger was immediately offloaded from the flight. The accused, along with the seized consignment of prohibited sandalwood, was subsequently handed over to the Customs authorities for further interrogation and legal action under the law.