RAHA, June 23 - Based on a tip-off, a team of Dharamtul Forest Range Office led by Jinaram Bordoloi, Range Officer, apprehended one swan timber-laden 12-wheeler truck bearing registration number AS-01-JC-4391 from NH 37 at Dharamtul falling within Dharamtul Forest Range, on Friday night. The Forest officials apprehended the vehicle while the driver and the helper of the vehicle managed to escape taking advantage of darkness.
According to information available, the consignment transported from Dima Hasao district was on its way to Guwahati. The recovery of the suspected transit pass book number 0108, receipt no. 029 with original expiry dated 16/06/2018, which was overwritten as 26/06/2018 from the possession of the apprehended vehicle speaks volumes about the departmental anomalies being perpetrated in nexus with timber smugglers of Dima Hasao district.
When contacted a source in the Forest department said, the consignment belonged to an established businessman of Guwahati, who has been trading in timber across the State of Assam and other NE States. There is no denying the fact that a strong network of timber smugglers has been openly operating in several districts of Assam under political patronage.
�The department will verify the consignment on various aspects of the alleged smuggling of the Forest products and proceed accordingly as per the laid down forest provisions,� the Range Officer told this correspondent. He added that the loaded vehicle was under the custody of Dharamtul Forest Range office for further investigation proceedings.
The market value of the seized items was estimated to be nearly Rs 6 lakhs.
