Baramulla: The forest department along with teams of forest protection forces seized three horses and a large quantity of illicit timber from past two days in the Rafiabad area of Baramulla.
Officials in the forest department said that they had received several complaints that some smugglers of upper belt of Rafiabad are chopping green trees from nearby forests and are shifting it to urban areas of Baramulla against huge prices.
They said following information teams of forest department accompanied with teams of forest protection forces laid several Naka’s on Baramulla Handwara road in Rafiabad from past three days. They said during search on Tuesday night they intercepted a group of people with three horses full of illicit timber near the Janbazpora, the smugglers managed to escape taking advantage of dark but the officials seized at least three horses full of illicit timber. They said they seized approximately 32 cfts of illicit timber and shifted it to a nearby forest office along with three horses.
The officials said that the department also seized around 85 cft of illicit timber in Vijibal Doabgah in the same area from the premises of a Joinery mill of a local Mohammad Ashraf Sofi.
They said that two separate cases have been registered against the involved persons and further investigation and search is going on.

Reader correspondent