Imphal: Six suspected timber smugglers were arrested with four fully loaded trucks (with timber) near Machi Loken in Manipur‘s Chandel district on Tuesday.
As per sources, they were apprehended based on a tip-off from across the border that illegal timber was being transported from Myanmar.
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Based on the input, a team of Assam Rifles intercepted four fully loaded trucks near Machi Loken (Thabi Keithel) in the southern part of Manipur.
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The trucks were carrying illegal timber which was estimated to be Rs 10 lakh in worth.
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The team also nabbed six traffickers and seized the trucks along with the timber in them.
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The seized timber along with apprehended smugglers was handed over to Range Officer, Forest Department, Tengnopal for further legal action.
Illegal timber in the bordering areas is a major environmental as well as criminal activity concern. Most of the wood or timber brought in is cut without any valid permits and hence these are sold later into the illegal or black market.
While there are many steps being taken to prevent such activities, sources informed that many such activities are undertaken with some of the government officials being involved.
These officers tend to turn a blind eye to the ill effects of illegal timber business in exchange for a hefty amount of money.
Earlier in January two truckloads of timbers worth around Rs 2.56 crore in the regional market was impounded along with six alleged smugglers in Manipur’s Ukhrul district bordering Myanmar on the east.