Why in news?

 The state  police busted an inter-State smuggling racket and arrested  people and recovered red sanders . The red sanders were smuggled from Andhra Pradesh and were being sold in Karnataka.

About Red sanders?

• Red sanders, red saunders, Yerra Chandanam, Chenchandanam, red sandalwood, Rakta Chandana, and saunderswood, is endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats mountain range of South India.
• This tree is valued for the rich red colour of its wood. The wood is traditionally considered not aromatic.
• However, in recent years there has been a marked uptick in the use of red sandalwood as a component of incense, especially in the west.
• Distribution: It is distributed in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. It occurs gregariously in patches in tropical dry deciduous forests, towards south eastern Ghats mainly in Andhra Pradesh.
• Climate and soil : Well-drained red soils with gravelled loam. It regenerates well in dry hot climate and requires rainfall ranging from 800 mm to 1000 mm annually for good growth.
• Conservation status: Endangered species by the IUCN. It is also listed in the appendix II of the CITES, which means that a certificate is required in order to export it