Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 13: Forest Department Kathua today foiled an attempt of smuggling of willow and seized 3155 number of willow cleft loaded in a truck. The forest official said that on receiving a specific information from a reliable source forest team of Kathua Forest Range under the Supervision of DFO, Kathua, Khalid Ameen Mehta and Range Forest Officer Kathua, Narinder Kumar Verma seized a truck bearing Registration Number JK03E/8677 loaded with 3155 un-finished willow clefts while plying on National Highway near RTO Office, Kathua in the jurisdiction of Kathua Forest Division.
Click here to watch video
The occupants of the truck namely Muzaffer Bazir, son of Bashir Ahmed (driver) and Muzaffer Ahmed Bhatt, son of Nissar Ahmed (owner of truck) of Bijbehara district Anantnag were also arrested.
A FIR has been registered in Range Office Kathua under Section 3,4 and 5 of J and K Willow (Prohibitation on Export and Movement ) Act, 2000. To dodge the Forest Checking Post, the truck owner got a challan to supply the willow cleft within UT but he actually had to smuggle the willow clefts outside J&K.
Follow our WhatsApp channel