Red Sandalwood Smuggling - The Economics of the Illegal Trade

Red sandalwood or red sanders are a huge sandalwood species endemic to India. They are native to Andhra Pradesh and they naturally grow across five districts, Chitur, Karappa, Karnool, Nellur and Prakasham. Over 90% of these trees grow in plantations of Andhra Pradesh itself. But why do people want to smuggle this stuff? Expensive furniture and is used in musical instruments in Japan. Also, red sandalwood has a rosy, unscented heartwood that's rich in rare earth elements such as strontium, cadmium, zinc and copper. It also has chemical molecules that add medicinal value and it