Agartala: July 02: In a significant crackdown on illegal timber smuggling, the Forest Department in North Tripura district conducted two successful raids on Wednesday, recovering timber worth over ₹3 lakh.
Acting on confidential intelligence inputs, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO) of Dharmanagar, Supriya Debnath, led both operations. The first raid occurred in the early hours at Uttar Hurua Gram Panchayat under Kalacherra Block. During the operation, officials discovered over 70 feet of illegally stored timber abandoned in a remote location.
Later in the day, around 2 PM, a second raid was carried out at the residence of Ajir Uddin, located in Ward No. 1 of Uttar Fulbari Gram Panchayat, under Churaibari Forest Beat jurisdiction. The forest team recovered approximately 200 feet of processed timber, including high-value wood types such as teak, kuma, and gamai. However, Ajir Uddin and his family managed to flee the scene before officials arrived.
Speaking to the media during the second operation, SDFO Supriya Debnath confirmed that both raids were the result of actionable tip-offs. “We believe the seized timber may have been extracted from reserved forest areas. A formal case has been registered under relevant forest laws, and a detailed investigation is underway to trace the full network involved,” she said.
The confiscated timber was initially moved to the Churaibari Beat Office and will be transported to the Dharmanagar SDFO Office for proper documentation and safe storage.
The operations highlight the Forest Department’s intensified efforts to curb illegal timber trade in the region and protect Tripura’s forest resources from further exploitation. Further arrests and legal actions are expected as the investigation progresses.
