. Seized Nepali sandalwood India's property:- BY PRAGATI SHAHI KATHMANDU, June 16 - Government authorities are preparing to send more than 152 tons of red sandalwood, seized from several parts of the country in recent days back to India. Keshav Raj Kadel, director general of Department of Forest and Soil Conservation of Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) has already written a letter requesting the concerned authority of the Indian government to take away this highly precious smuggled wood back to its country. "It is India's property and we want to return it," Kadel said. According to Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), seized products like red sandalwood which are listed in Appendix II of CITES can be exported if the scientific board of the owner country provides export permission paper, which India has not done. (Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled). Being a member country of CITES for more than 32 years, Nepal lacks laws to deal with such seized products, he said. "We have no legal provision in our country to decide what to do with the seized items listed in CITES," said Ravi Sharma, a CITES expert. However, Indian authorities have not said whether they are ready to take back this smuggled wood, said another official at MoFSC. To make use of the seized sandalwood, Singhadurbar Vaidyakhana Bikas Samiti, an associate of MoFSC had earlier urged the government to provide the seized wood for medicinal purposes. 5 tons more seized:- Meanwhile police seized about five tons of red sandalwood loaded in a truck at Gauri Shankar VDC of Sarlahi district, Friday. According to police, truck driver Prem Lama and helper Ram Narayan Singh were also arrested. The case is now being handled by the District Forest Office. 2007-06-15 http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=112878