By TC News Desk
Agartala, 4th July 2025: In a successful late-night operation, the Forest Department and Dharmanagar Police intercepted a consignment of smuggled teakwood during a joint raid in the Krishnapur area near Panisagar Road, North Tripura.
Authorities seized a suspicious WagonR vehicle bearing registration number AS01AD7188, which was allegedly transporting the illegal timber from Panisagar towards Dharmanagar. According to Dharmanagar Forest Ranger Supriya Debnath, the vehicle contained approximately 35 feet of teak logs, with an estimated black-market value of Rs 40,000.
While the smuggled wood and the vehicle were confiscated during the coordinated operation, the smugglers managed to evade arrest, abandoning the vehicle upon sensing the presence of the authorities.
Forest officials stated that this operation was the culmination of several weeks of surveillance on suspected smuggling routes. The raid was led by Ranger Supriya Debnath and Inspector Harendra Debbarma of Dharmanagar Police Station. Their prompt response and cooperation were instrumental in the operation’s success.
Environmental advocates have hailed the effort as a crucial step in combating the illegal exploitation of forest resources. With timber smugglers posing a serious threat to government-owned natural assets worth crores of rupees, such actions by enforcement agencies are viewed as both timely and necessary.
A Forest Department spokesperson confirmed that similar operations will continue in the future, with renewed efforts to identify and prosecute those involved in timber trafficking.
