BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 4th April 2025: Churaibari Forest Beat workers have successfully recovered a significant amount of stolen teak wood in two separate operations, marking an important breakthrough after a long hiatus in forest enforcement activities. The operation led by Beat In-charge Ashutosh Malakar resulted in the seizure of approximately 400 feet of teak wood worth around Rs 5 lakh, although no arrests were made.
The smuggling of stolen teak wood has been rampant in the Churaibari beat area, far exceeding activities in the nearby Kadamtala beat. Hills in the Churaibari area have suffered devastating deforestation, resembling barren deserts. The illegal trade is reportedly facilitated through clandestine operations behind unauthorized cabinets.
This morning, acting on secret information, forest workers raided two locations. They recovered envelopes of chopped teak wood from the residences of Debu Deb in Ward No. 1 of Churaibari Gram Panchayat and Hannan Mia in Ward No. 5 of Purba Fulbari Gram Panchayat. The team also seized a tuk-tuk and additional wood during the operation.
While no suspects were arrested during the raids, the Forest department has initiated an investigation into the case. Beat in-charge Malakar assured that similar operations will continue to curb the illegal timber trade and protect the area’s diminishing forest resources.
