Excelsior Correspondent
DODA, July 12: One person was arrested today with 200 kg banned herb namely Nagchatri (Trillium Govannium) at Batote Forest check post on Batote-Doda Road.
According to Surinder Singh Chib, Range Officer, Batote Forest Division, a team of Forest Division Batote assisted by FPF men today seized a Tata 709 truck bearing registration number JK02AJ-5695 carrying banned herb ‘Nagchatri’ at Batote Forest check post.
The truck was carrying around 200 kg of banned herb, which was hidden below the truck inside a specifically designed box meant to smuggle such items. The truck was coming from Kishtwar Mughal Maidan area and was supposed to smuggle the herb outside the State.
The market price of the herb was expected around Rs 8-10 lakh. In this connection, a case under relevant sections of J&K Forest Act has been registered at Forest Office Batote and driver of the truck identified as Mohd Hanif son of Sher Mohd, a resident of Village Bup (Mantalai), Tehsil Chenani, District Udhampur, has been arrested.
Further investigation in the case is on and the arrested person is being interrogated for finding out the modus operandi of such smuggling.
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