Guwahati: Organised timber mafias are relentlessly destroying Assam’s ancient forests through illegal logging, cross-border smuggling, and violent intimidation. Recent arrests in western Assam have exposed the scale, brutality, and deep-rooted networks behind the crime.
Operating across reserved forests, riverine chars, and border zones, these syndicates target high-value species such as sal, khair, and holong. They often operate under the shadow of alleged official collusion.
The menace resurfaced sharply this week when police arrested Fazal Mandal and Saiful Islam Mandal in Tamarhat under Dhubri district during an intelligence-based operation. The duo allegedly led a timber smuggling racket along the Dhubri–Kokrajhar corridor.
During the raid, members of the network reportedly attacked police personnel. At least one officer was injured before the accused were subdued.
Investigators believe the group has links to earlier assaults on forest staff. This points to the mafia’s growing audacity in western Assam’s vulnerable char and reserve areas.
Illegal operations typically involve hiring local labourers to fell trees deep inside forest belts. The syndicates then process the timber in concealed sawmills. They transport it at night using trucks or country boats.
Smuggling routes often extend to markets in other states and even across international borders. This makes enforcement increasingly complex.
Environmental data highlights the alarming scale of destruction. According to Global Forest Watch, Assam lost nearly 184 square kilometres of old-growth forest in 2021 alone. Studies by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing warn of accelerated depletion in the Assam–Arunachal landscape by 2028, largely due to illegal felling.
Experts warn that the consequences go far beyond tree loss. Habitat fragmentation has intensified human-wildlife conflict, increased flood vulnerability, and threatened the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.
Despite periodic raids and seizures, weak enforcement, high timber demand, and poverty continue to fuel the crisis. Conservationists say only strong anti-corruption action, community participation, technological surveillance, and sustained political will can protect Assam’s forests from irreversible damage.