Smuggler dies in encounter with Forest personnel in East Karbi Anglong

A Correspondent

BOKAJAN: In a major development, a suspected timber smuggler was allegedly shot dead by a team of forest department officials under Silonijan Range in East Karbi Anglong on Thursday.

As per reports, a team of forest department officials confronted a group of timber smugglers inside the Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary and demanded that they surrender. The gang of smugglers, who were engaged in cutting of endangered trees, opened fire at the forest team, prompting them to retaliate. The exchange of fire lasted for a couple of minutes and the gang fled the spot under the cover of darkness.

Later, on searching the area, a bullet-ridden body was recovered by the forest team. A 7.65mm pistol with two live ammunitions and one empty cartridge, a muzzle loaded gun, a chainsaw and a gallon of petrol were also recovered from the area.

Illegal logging and smuggling of valuable timber is rampant in the Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining Nambor Reserve Forest in Golaghat district. Recently, a forest guard named Mohibur Hussain was brutally attacked by timber mafia inside the Nambor Reserve Forest. Hussain was attacked with sharp axes after he confronted the gang of notorious timber smugglers cutting down valuable trees inside the protected forest.

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