AJK forest dept foils smuggling in Jhelum Valley

The enforcement action started, Hon’ble Jhelum Valley Ghulam Mujtaba Awan and the staff of the Jhelum Valley Division arrested the smugglers.

According to the details, for the last several days, the forest authorities have been receiving complaints that vehicles like high-speed Toyotas, cars and containers etc. Timber is being smuggled.

Director of Forests Circle Muzaffarabad Imtiaz Ahmed Awan has issued instructions to the staff of all check posts, especially Kohala check post, on the orders of Forest Minister Muhammad Akmal Sargala, Forest Secretary Chaudhry Imtiaz Ahmed, Chief Forest Controller Syed Gul Hasan Shah, Ghulam Mujtaba Mughal were to ensure the checking and inspection of such vehicles, in the light of these instructions.

Forestry Jhelum Valley Ghulam Mujtaba Awan mobilized the staff, on Saturday night at around 7:30 pm, the staff stationed at the Kohala check post, Raja Muhammad Nasir, Muhammad Shahzad stopped the vehicle of type container number CEB600, the staff immediately contacted the Director of Forests, Muzaffarabad Circle, who gave instructions to conduct a comprehensive search of the vehicle.

The driver could not provide any proof of the legality of this wood, meanwhile the Director of Forests immediately directed the DFO Jhelum Valley to reach the spot along with the staff and take the loaded vehicle and the accused into custody. To be delivered to UT Division, Hon’ble Forest Jhelum Valley Ghulam Mujtaba Awan along with Range Officer Domail Raja Muhammad Abbas Khan, Block Officer Domail Maruf Awan, Raja Sajid Forest Guard immediately reached the spot and took the container loaded with valuable deodar wood into custody along with the driver and delivered it to the UT Division.

While under Section 28F R code action has been initiated, according to initial reports the name of the driver of the vehicle is Shahzeb son of Siddique Qoum Sadhan and is a resident of Pulandri Azad Kashmir, the driver loaded this precious wood Gujra worth lakhs from an unknown place which is known as Rawalpindi Smuggler. What was to be done, after the measurement, the real value of the wood will come out, but according to the estimate, its price will be in lakhs of rupees.

Remember, this is the second major operation of the Forest Department in Muzaffarabad circle within a week, last week from Neelam Valley. Wood was being smuggled on a modern model High S vehicle, the vehicle number RIS8787 was stopped at Patahka, then the accused drove the vehicle away and took it to a secret route. Catching him while chasing the car, meanwhile Hon Forest Raja Meraj and other staff also reached the spot, later the accused were handed over to the police, meanwhile the public has congratulated the forest officials and staff for the successful operation.