Balangir: Launching a crackdown on illegal timber trafficking in the district, forest officials seized teak wood laden pickup van after conducting a raid near Turekela under Kantabanji Forest Division in Balangir district today.
A team of forest officials from Kantabanji conducted the raid following a tip-off on the pickup van carrying a teak wood consignment to Balangir and intercepted it near Chhataranga on Belpara-Kanut road. During the searching of the vehicle the officials found teak wood logs without essential documents and seized them.
However, the traffickers who were boarding the van during the raid managed to escape from the spot.
The seized teak wood logs will cost over Rs 50,000, said S D Badamalia, Ranger, Kantabanji.
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