200 square feet of illicit timber seized during Ramadan in Sopore division
Intensifying its anti-smuggling activities, range office Sopore, acting on a specific tip-off seized around 200 square feet of illegal timber from vehicles and horse carts.
Sources said that divisional forest officer Kamraj forest division directed Range officer Kandi Sopore to intensify anti-smuggling activities. Acting on specific information field staff and control room Kandi Range manage to seize around 200 sq. fts of illegal timber loading on Tata Sumo bearing number Jk05A-1806 one Maruti car number Jk01D-5323 and one horse cart during the holy month of Ramzan,
“Smuggling activities reach to its highest in the month of Ramzan especially during Sehri, Iftar, and Taraweeh time when people remain restricted to prayers and smugglers take advantage to smuggle forest timber,” forest officials said.
According to the range officer Kandi Range Sopore Javid Rahim, around eight F.I.R’S against 35 smugglers were lodged in different police stations.
He said that during the scuffle with smugglers at few places our one employee Bashir Ahmad Ganaie was severely injured at Shiva area of Sopore.
Meanwhile, twelve vehicles were also damaged by smugglers. He said 5 more employees sustain injuries at Rampora Rajpora area but no action till date was taken by authorities.
KV Correspondent
