As part of their continued efforts to stop smuggling activities, the Assam Rifles (Kakchang Battalion) on Saturday seized four timber-laden trucks illegally being transported from Manipur’s Joupi to Imphal.
Informing about the incident the Assam Rifles on its Twitter handle on Sunday stated that the seizure was immediately reported to the officials of district forest department in Chandel and handed over to the District Forest Officer (DFO) of Imphal.
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The Kakchang Battalion (39 Assam Rifles) personnel, making a strong note of suspicious movement of trucks acted promptly and stopped the timber-laden vehicles at Salluk town in Chandel district and the information was shared with the DFO at Chandel.
On request of assistance from the DFO Chandel, the Assam Rifles helped in transporting the timbers to Imphal.
The Assam Rifles on its Twitter handle on Sunday stated, “Kakching Battalion of AssamRifles seized 4 trucks of timber at Salluk, Chakpikarong, Chandel district being illegally transported from Joupi to Imphal in Manipur,” adding, “The entire seizure was immediately reported to the officials of District Forest Dept, Chandel & handed over to DFO, Imphal.”
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On the other hand, sources alleged that smuggling of wood from the Northeast region to other parts of the country continues.
Sources alleged, “Illegal logs continue to be transported from forests in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, Manipur’s Churachandpur and Intanki in Nagalnad’s Peren district to Dimapur in Nagaland where the logs are cut into pieces and smuggled to other parts of the country in wagon trains.”
Sources also alleged that in Dima Hasao district of Assam, the logs are illegally smuggled from Laikem, Khepre areas in Maibong and Laisong in Mahur.
On condition of anonymity, an environmentalist told Northeast Now, “The forest produces are first transported from forests in Manipur, Assam and Nagaland to Dimapur where after unloading the logs from dozens of truck are cut into bloc sizes and transported to other parts of the country through wagon trains. There is also involvement of insurgents, corrupt forest officials and police in this smuggling,” adding, “The government should make use of special security forces to stop such kind of smuggling.”