Handwara: In a crackdown on timber smuggling, the Forest Protection Force (FPF) Handwara in north Kashmir seized illicit timber from a Band Saw Mill in the Kulangam area of Kupwara district, leading to the suspension of two forest department employees, including a Block Forest Officer.
Officials told this reporter that a special team of the Forest Protection Force carried out the operation during the intervening night of September 17 and 18. The raid was supervised by Deputy Director FPF Manzoor Ahmad and AD Handwara Manmeet Singh.
During the operation, the team intercepted a consignment of illegal timber stored in the sawmill. In total, six logs of Deodar timber measuring 59 cubic feet were seized. The timber, which lacked legal transportation or felling permissions, is believed to have originated from the Nowgam Block in the Mawar forest area.
Authorities said the timber was recovered from a Band Saw Mill that had been clandestinely set up to process illicit forest produce. The entire stock has been taken into custody for further investigation to trace the broader network behind the smuggling.
Following the seizure, the Forest Department issued suspension orders against two of its employees for dereliction of duty. Those suspended include Block Forest Officer Najam Saqib and Forest Guard Abdul Majeed, who were attached to Range Kandi of Kamraj Forest Division. The order was issued under number 149 of 2025 FD/CFM/Estt/2025/1551-55.
An official from the Forest Protection Force said the action reflects the department’s firm resolve to safeguard forest resources and curb illegal logging. “The protection of green cover is a collective responsibility, and our teams are working day and night to check the menace of timber smuggling,” he said.
