Baramulla: Forest department seized a vehicle carrying illicit timber and arrested its driver at Hadipora Rafiabad in North Kashmir Baramulla district on Friday.

Chief Conservator Forest North Kashmir Irfan Rasool Wani said that forest department has seized a Tata mobile at Hadipora which was ferrying huge quantity of illicit timber for a joinery mill at Watergam.

“Acting on specific inputs at Baramulla control room, a check point ‘nakka’  was laid at Hadipora Rafiabad by the forest officials team led by Range Officer (RO) Sofi Farha  who is presently undergoing Range training in  JV Forest Division. A Tata Mobile (JK05D 2629) carrying illicit timber was intercepted and during checking illicit timber deodar 8 No.’s measuring 53 cft was also recovered from the Tata mobile and the vehicle was seized,”  informed Wani.

“Despite Covid-19 pandemic crises, we managed to intercept the vehicle the driver of the vehicle was arrested besides a case was registered against a timber smuggler identified as Manzoor Ahmad Najar running a joinery mill at Watergam,” Wani added.

An FIR no 74/20 dated 03/07/2020 has been lodged at police station Dangiwacha, besides special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted for its detailed investigation as to how the smugglers managed to smuggle timber from Kiterdaji Rafaibad.