Malkangiri: Forest officials Saturday morning seized a tractor carrying a consignment of timber and arrested four persons during a crackdown on illegal timber trade in the district.
The seizure was made from Salmi forest under Mathili forest range in Malkangiri district.
The four arrested have been identified as Lakinath Nayak, Krutibas Gouda and Sukura Nayak of Palaripadar village and Shankar Kumar of Dalapatiguda village.
Acting on a tip-off, a five-member team of forest officials led by Mathili forest ranger Parsuram Bhumia conducted the raid and made the seizure.
The four were smuggling timber worth lakhs of rupees by a tractor bearing registration number OR-10D-1493 at around 2 am.
The officials found fine quality timber in huge quantity kept in the vehicle and seized those after the driver and the helper failed to produce necessary documents.
The arrested four accused have been forwarded to court, it was learnt.
PNN
