Churah Forest Division Launches Drive Against Illegal Wood Smuggling
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Churah, Feb 06: The Churah Forest Division in Saluni has initiated a crackdown on illegal timber smuggling. During the operation, the forest department’s team successfully apprehended three individuals involved in the illegal cutting of deodar trees, while three others managed to escape.
According to reports, on the night of the incident, Forest Range Officer Hamid Khan and his team were patrolling the Kuthhed-Kandhwara road near the Kuthhed Reserve Forest. They heard the sound of trees being felled and quickly reached the site. Upon arrival, they found six individuals illegally cutting deodar trees. Three of them fled the scene, while the remaining three were caught with the timber.
The team discovered five felled deodar trees, including four from the fourth class and one from the fifth class, with an estimated value of approximately ₹1.5 lakh. Initially, the timber smugglers agreed to pay a fine, but later refused.
Among the arrested individuals were Bhagat Ram from Kuthhed village, Rahul from Shail village, and Divan Chand from Bhadol village. The team has filed a complaint at the local police station and further legal action is underway. Interestingly, one of the accused is a Special Police Officer (SPO) and was recently on the waiting list for a forest friend position in the same beat.
