Forest officials foil major timber smuggling bid in Rajwar
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By Aatif Qayoom
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16 Oct 2025
Handwara, Oct 16: Forest officials of the Forest Protection Force (FPF) foiled a major timber smuggling attempt in the Khanpura block of compartment 40, in Rajwar Range, Handwara on Thursday, officials said.
Six accused have been booked after illegal timber was recovered from the area, Assistant Director FPF Manmeet Singh confirmed.
Singh said that at around 3:30 am, the team received information about illegal timber extraction. “We immediately rushed to the site with my party. The main accused, identified as Muhammad Rafi, son of Saifuddi, resident of Dogripura, had dumped a large quantity of timber near his area,” Singh said.
“When we reached, we found timber stored in sand and round farms. As soon as they saw us, they raised an alarm. We informed our territorial staff, and the matter was brought to the notice of the DFO, who directed further action,” he added.
Singh said the team faced resistance from the locals during the night. “The family members, including women, came out and tried to stop the operation. There was a scuffle with our staff, so we decided to halt and stay in the jungle overnight,” he said.
In the morning, the operation resumed with reinforcements. “Senior officers, including the Conservator, DFO, and Deputy Director, supervised the entire action. We recovered all the hidden timber and found that the smugglers had even tried to set it on fire. Around 20 logs and 43 saw pieces were seized on the spot,” Singh said.
The seized timber was transported to the division office under Form 25. “Six culprits were involved, one from the house and five associates. An FIR has been registered against all six, and the number will be available soon,” Singh confirmed.
He praised his team for acting wisely and staying calm during the night. “We acted as per our duty and followed the instructions of our senior officers, including CCF Kashmir, Conservator Nath, and other senior officials. The department has a strict policy against timber smuggling,” he said
Singh warned that strict legal action will continue against timber smugglers. “Our Forest Protection Force remains alert round the clock. Anyone involved in forest damage will face immediate legal action,” he added.
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