Reyaz Rashid
Baramulla: Forest department’s Forest Protection Force (FPF) seized a load carrier vehicle carrying a huge quantity of illicit timber in finished form and arrested the driver of the vehicle Sangri Baramulla in North Kashmir Baramulla district on Sunday.
Talking to Kashmir Images Joint Director FPF Kashmir Irfan Rasool Wani said, “Following the inputs received regarding smuggling of illicit timber in a load carrier vehicle in Baramulla, FPF Deputy Director Baramulla Muzaffar Bazaz deputed a team led by Assistant Director FPF and otherofficials of Forest Protection Force and territorial department to establish a checkpoint ‘ nakka’ and carry out the operation. The team was successful in seizing the vehicle along with illicit timber.The timber seized in the instant case has been reported as Deodar/Kail 26 sleepers equal to 11.14cfts.”
He added that the driver of the vehicle who was arrested has been identified as Arshad Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Nabi Bhat of Mohalla Khawaja Shab old town Baramulla.
While divulging the details, Deputy Director Baramulla Muzaffar Bazaz informed that timber was loaded from Mohalla Faqirwani old Town Baramulla from the house of timber smuggler Nadeem Ahmad sheikh and it was going to be dumped in Bawli Kanlibagh Baramulla. He said the department has taken up the investigations and matter has been referred to Police for registration of FIR so that culprits are punished under the Indian Forest Act.
He further said that such operations will continue and not even a single smuggler will be spared and all the necessary actions warranted under the forest act would be taken strictly against whoever will be responsible for any type of damage to the forests.