Assam: Timber smuggler nabbed in Morigaon after forest department raids

In a successful operation, the Morigaon Forest Department arrested a notorious timber smuggler, Ajit Das, in Morigaon Divika. The department received intelligence inputs and quickly acted, intercepting the timber-laden car on its way to Ghagua Amkata in Morigaon district.

The timber smuggler was arrested along with the car, and the Morigaon forest department has handed them over to the Range Officer of the Forest Department for further legal action.

This is not the first time that such illegal activities have been reported in the region. Earlier, on March 7, the Assam Rifles team intercepted four fully loaded trucks in Manipur's Chandel district and arrested six suspected timber smugglers.

The apprehension was made based on a tip-off from across the border, indicating that illegal timber was being transported from Myanmar. The seized timber and the apprehended smugglers were handed over to the Range Officer of the Forest Department for further legal action.

Illegal timber activities are a major environmental and criminal concern in the bordering areas, with most of the wood or timber being cut without valid permits and sold in the illegal or black market. Despite efforts to prevent such activities, sources suggest that some government officials are involved, turning a blind eye to the ill effects of the illegal timber business in exchange for a hefty sum of money.