Illegal timber worth over Rs 20 lakh seized following raid in Odisha

Police confiscated illegally stored timber with an estimated value exceeding Rs 20 lakh on Thursday following a raid in Samantarapur village under Ghatagaon forest range in Keonjhar district. The seized wood includes high-value varieties such as Sal, Piasal, Gambhari, and Teak.

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The operation mobilised three Assistant Conservators of Forests (ACFs), four Rangers, over 60 forest personnel, along with local police support for security measures.

The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Keonjhar has issued a stern warning to those engaging in illicit timber operations, underscoring that assets acquired via illegal timber sales will be confiscated under new legislation.

Around 1,000 cubic feet of wood logs seized

“We were tipped off about the illegally stored timbers. Swinging into action, we carried out a raid and seized around 1,000 cubic feet of wood logs. We will take stringent action against habitual offenders and attach their properties,” Keonjhar DFO, HD Dhanraj said.

Earlier in another incident on February 27, an illegal sawmill was busted and equipment worth lakhs of rupees was seized in Bhadrak district, during a surprise raid carried out by the police in coordination with the local Forest Department.

Bhadrak Police had received a tip-off regarding the illegal sawmill operating near Haladidihi Chhak under Puruna Bazaar police limits.

Subsequently, a police team led by Bhadrak City DSP Sambit Majhi had raided the place and ascertained that the sawmill was operating without a valid license.

During the investigation, the Forest Department staff had seized machinery worth over Rs 3 lakh, along with a vehicle loaded with processed timber from a Neem tree. Additionally, the value of the logs and processed timber was stated to be around Rs 50,000.

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The Forest Department had also detained four youths for questioning. However, the patch of land where the illegal sawmill was operating belonged to someone else.