BHUBANESWAR: In a major haul, forest sleuths seized at least nine truck loads of timber from an illegally running depot-cum-carpentry unit in Deulasahi near Bidanasi area of Cuttack in the wee hours of Wednesday. The value of the seized timber could run into ` 12 lakh. Acting on a tip off from City Division DFO Jayant Kumar Das, a team was waiting at Deulasahi where a Mahindra pick-up van arrived to unload timber on the premises. When the driver and helper saw the team, led by Jobra Range Officer Pranab Mohanty, they fled leaving the vehicle. However, soon local goons arrived with the driver and helper in tow and tried to take away the vehicle forcibly. The forest officials had a close shave but the van hit the gate of the depot and got stuck. With help of the local police, the forest sleuths searched the whole premises and found over 500 cft of sal, teak and piasal which was being smuggled regularly. Though there was no sign of who owned the premises and ran the illegal unit, investigation revealed that it has been in operation for quite sometime. The premises was also being used as a carpentry unit. “We are carrying out inventory of the seized timber and trying tko ascertain owner of the unit,” Das said. The electricity meter installed on the premises is in the name of one DK Mohanty.
Comments
0 comment