Assam: Timber smuggler seriously injured in firing with forest guards

DIBRUGARH: A timber smuggler was seriously injured after Forest Department opened fired at the armed timber smuggler at Bashabnala under Hokunguri range in Dehing-Patkai National Park on Monday.

According to sources, the timber smuggler entered the Dehing-Patkai National Park in broad daylight to chop trees with saw machines. “The forest officials got the information about the presence of timber smugglers who had come over from the Arunachal Pradesh side to chop tress. The forest department team went in search for them and firing took place between smugglers and forest officials. During the firing, one timber smuggler was seriously injured,” said a source.

Division Forest Officer (DFO) BV Sandeep confirmed the firing incident between forest guards and timber smuggler on Monday. “We have come to know that one timber smuggler was seriously injured during the firing. They smugglers came from the Arunachal side to chop trees in Dehing-Patkai National Park. The incident occurred at Bashabnala, which is a few kilometers away from the Arunachal Pradesh border. Many plywood factories have been set up in Arunachal and the smugglers enter the National Park to cut down tress,” he said.

He further said, “We recovered a rifle and a mobile phone from the site of the firing incident. Our forest team has been doing regular patrolling to stop ccutting of trees. We cannot confirm about the death of the smuggler because the other smugglers took him along with them. He was seriously injured.”

Sources said that due to mushrooming growth of saw mills in Arunachal Pradesh, timber smuggler with machines enter the Dehing-Patkai to cut valuable trees. “Most of the times, the timber smugglers use elephants to transport the logs. Basabnalla falls under the Assam-Arunachal border where most of crimes takes place,” said a source.

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