Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 11: The Forest Protection Force (FPF) has seized a truck loaded with willow clefts being smuggled to Punjab and arrested its driver in Kathua area.
Official sources said that tacting on a specific information, an FPF team Kathua led by Dherminder Sharma, Deputy Director, Forest Protection Force, Gamma Unit J03 Kathua, assisted by Rajesh Kumar, Assistant Director (Adm.) Atul Kumar Gupta, Assistant Director (Ops) and other staff laid a Naka during last night near Basohli More, ahead of Lakahnpur Toll Plaza.
During midnight the suspected truck was signaled at Naka point to stop for checking but escaped the Naka due to heavy traffic on National Highway and left for Punjab.
However, FPF team with support of senior officials, immediately swung into action and with the assistance of State Police, particularly SHO Lakhanpur took up the matter with Punjab Police and intercepted the truck at Naggal. He was detained by Anita Thakur, SHO, Naggal Police Station, Punjab at about 1:30 A.M.
Next morning after legal formalities with Punjab Police and Punjab Forest Department, the truck was brought to FPF Complex Kathua for further investigation. Today after hiring of labour, the loaded stuff was unloaded and it was found that 3000 willow cleft were being illegally smuggled/exported out of state in violation of the Section 3, 4 & 5 of J&K Willow (Prohibition on Export and Movement) Act 2002.
Accordingly, the truck alongwith loaded stuff was seized. Driver of the truck has also been arrested and shall be produced before Judicial Magistrate for further custody.
Further, necessary action regarding confiscation of seized stuff and truck has been initiated in this regard.
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