Baramulla: Continuing its drive to curb the unabated timber smuggling in north Kashmir’s Narwav area of Baramulla district, forest officials and police in a joint operation seized a truck carrying 18 logs, measuring 133 Cft, of illicit timber being smuggled from the area during nighttime and also seized a Tiago car.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) J V Forest Division Baramulla, Pervaiz Ahmad Wani, told Kashmir Images that a huge cache of illicit timber was being smuggled from forest compartment number 77 of Heewan forest block. “Acting on the information, a team of forest officials led by forester Ashiq Gani laid a naka at outskirts of Heewan village on Sheeri-Laridora road and intercepted a truck bearing registration number JK02U 3985 and a Tiago car bearing registration number JK05H 1768 escorting the truck.”
“When we intercepted the truck laden with illicit timber, smugglers managed to flee from the spot. However, the truck and car was seized and a manhunt has been launched to nab the smugglers,” he added.
“The documents recovered from the vehicles revealed the identity of the notorious smugglers as Mustaq Ahmad Ganai son of Abdul Subhan Ganai of Delina presently residing in Sangri Colony Baramulla and Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh son Haji Ahad Sheikh Rabin Rafiabad,” DFO Barmalla told Kashmir Images.
When contacted Station House Officer (SHO) Sheeri, Waseem Ahmad, confirmed that a truck with illicit timber and a car has been seized and identification of the smugglers is being ascertained.
“We have registered the case under an FIR Under Section 379, 6 Forest Act in this regard and investigations have been started,” he added.
“It is a major breakthrough and had we not laid a trap the smugglers would have managed to smuggle the large quantity of timber from the area. We are ascertaining the smuggling network behind transporting of timber,” a forest officer said.
The seized timber amounts to around two lakh in market, according to the forest officials.
