Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 1: Alert Forest Department staff today foiled Khair wood smuggling attempt by some people at Lakhanpur Check Post on J&K-Punjab border.
Official sources said that during the early morning hours today, the Forest staff at Lakhanpur Check Post, led by the Range Officer-Lakhanpur Pankaj Khajuria tracked and then seized a tractor trolley at National Highway, which was loaded with nearly 50 (Fifty ) quintals of Khair (Acacia catechu) wood. It is worthwhile to mention that Khair logs were very clandestinely concealed under the loads of sand in very camouflaged manner. The said tractor trolley bearing registration no. JK 08A -7672 was guided by one motorcycle bound person namely, Saif Ali Din, son of Alam Din of village Jarai (Nagri-Kathua) who also happened to be the owner of the seized tractor trolley.
Saif Din tried to flee the spot but he was immediately caught and arrested by the forest staff, His motorcycle bearing registration no.PB 57B-4742 was also seized.
On being questioned, the arrested persons have also disclosed that the said seized stocks have been felled from private land of village Barwal and during the course of further investigations complete details shall also emerge and those involved shall be booked.
DFO Kathua lauded the efforts of forest staff of Lakhanpur Check Post and had framed joint teams of forest field staff and FPF-Kathua in consultation with Dy Director FPF Gamma Unit Kathua for unearthing this nexus. The arrested persons after detailed questioning shall be handed over to the Police authorities to conduct detailed investigation and lodge an FIR.
It is pertinent to mention here that Khair felling is totally banned in the Sate except the one permitted as per the provisions of the SRO-111 of 2016 and 10-year Khair Manage-ment Felling Plan issued by the J&K Forest Department, Govt of J & K during Sept 2016.
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