Handwara, April 2, KNT: Police in Handwara on Thursday seized a consignment of illicit timber and arrested a driver during a naka checking operation in Qalamabad area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, officials said.
The interception was carried out by a police team from Police Station Qalamabad during routine checking, when a load carrier was stopped for inspection.
The vehicle was found transporting a quantity of timber without valid permits or documentation, prompting officials to seize both the consignment and the vehicle on the spot.
The action forms part of ongoing efforts by police to curb illegal timber smuggling in forest-rich areas of north Kashmir, where such activities have been a recurring concern.
The driver, identified as Abdul Rashid War, a resident of Yahama Mawar, was taken into custody.
Officials said a case has been registered at Police Station Qalamabad under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Forest Act.
Preliminary investigation suggests the timber had been illegally felled and was being transported for unauthorized use, though officials said further details are being verified.
Police said investigation is underway to trace the origin of the timber and identify any wider network involved in the smuggling activity. [KNT]
