4 held for khairwood smuggling

UNA, FEBRUARY 24

Four armed khairwood ‘smugglers’ were nabbed by a team of forest officials late last night in Bangana and 12 logs of illegally cut khairwood, a gun and two cartridges were seized from them.

On a tip-off, a team of eight officials, led by Bangana Forest Range Officer Sandeep Kumar, started patrolling the area.

Around 1.30 am today, the team reached Naloot village where they noticed some persons loading logs of wood on to a pick-up truck. The foresters reached there and caught four persons, who were in an inebriated state. One person escaped under the cover of darkness.

The four persons, who have been arrested under various sections of the Forest Act, Arms Act and the IPC, include Rajesh Kumar and Vijay Kumar, residents of Pansai, Rajiv Kumar from Tyasar and Sanjeev Kumar from Tanoh, all in Bangana.

The fifth accomplice, identified as Sheetal, resident of Mahral in Hamirpur district, is absconding and the police have launched a drive to hunt him. — OC