A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAJAN: The Assam Police, in another major crackdown, seized 350 CFT of illegal Burmese timber worth Rs 5 lakh from a truck at Khatkhati in Karbi Anglong district on Tuesday night.
"Based on secret information received from sources, a police team intercepted a truck bearing registration number NL 01N 9417 coming from Manipur and on checking the vehicle, the police found timber concealed under waste carton paper and iron scrap inside the vehicle," said a senior police officer. "After measurements we found a total of 350 CFT teak wood in the truck," he said.
The driver of the truck, identified as Md Hipjur Rahman (25), son of Md Ijim of Khomidok Sorok Mapal under Heingang police station of Imphal East, Manipur, was arrested in this connection.
Both NH 39 and NH 36 have emerged as transit points of illegal smuggling in recent times. Apart from narcotics, contraband gold, endangered wildlife, arecanut and black pepper are also smuggled into many parts of the country through these routes.
Recently, the Khatkhati police had seized 300 bags of suspected Burmese Black Pepper hidden under rice bags from a truck. Black Pepper is priced at Rs 800-Rs 1000 per kilogramme in India making it lucrative for smuggling from Burma.
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