Plots, houses and some other assets worth a total of Rs 7.54 crore of a Tamil Nadu-based alleged Red Sanders wood smuggler and his family members have been attached under the anti-money laundering law, the Enforcement Directorate said on Tuesday, March 29. The action has been taken against R Selvaraj, whom the federal probe agency called "a habitual offender who indulged in unlawful activities related to smuggling of red sanders/sandalwood and other criminal activities."

The attached assets include eight residential plots in Aathoor and Pudhu Erumaivettipalayam, Redhills, Tamil Nadu; six agricultural plots in the Vallakkottai village of Sriperumbudur district; two houses located at Venus colony, 2nd street, Chennai and Krishna Nagar, Saram Revenue village in Puducherry and movable properties worth Rs 2.07 crore in the name of Sanjana Metalware India Pvt Ltd. The book value of these properties is Rs 2.74 crore while the present "market value" is about Rs 7.54 crore, the ED said.

The ED statement said Selvaraj "earned proceeds of crime in cash over the years from these illegal activities." "He invested the money so earned in immovable properties and as paid-up capital, unsecured loans etc. in his related company Sanjana Metalware India Pvt Ltd." It further added,  "Investigation established that the said assets were illegally acquired from the proceeds of crime generated through the unlawful activities related to smuggling of red sanders/sandalwood and other criminal activities...," it said.

Selvaraj was first booked for these activities by the Andhra Pradesh Police (Chittoor district) and the Customs department, Chennai, following which the ED registered a criminal case against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Both the departments also field separate charge sheets against him and while Selvaraj was "detained" under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA), he was also charged for contravention of the Customs Act, Wildlife Protection Act, Biodiversity Act and Arms Act, the ED said.

Red Sanders is listed in Appendix II of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and its export from India is restricted in accordance with the country's foreign trade policy.