Keonjhar: Keonjhar forest department officials Tuesday night seized three vehicles from Bauripada and Judia locality in Keonjhar district for allegedly smuggling timber.
The drivers of these vehicles and other men inside them, however, gave the officials a slip taking advantage of darkness.
According to the forest officials, acting on a tip-off about timbers being illegally smuggled in a convoy of pickup trucks, they conducted a search operation and seized the vehicles. Apart from the pickup trucks, timbers worth Rs 3 lakh has also been confiscated.
A case has been registered by the forest department in this connection and investigation into the matter is on.
The search operation was carried out under the direction of ACF Ghanshyam Mohanta in presence of Sadar range officials.
PNN
