Keonjhar: Launching a crackdown on wood smugglers, forest officials have seized a mini truck carrying huge quantity of sized timber by conducting a raid in Barbil forest range in Keonjhar district last night.
Acting upon a tip-off on the illegal timber consignment forest officials from Barbil area laid a trap at Barabanka Ghati on NH-520 last night and waylaid a 407 vehicle bearing registration number-JH 05 H 3843 late last night.
While during the search the driver managed to give forest officials a slip, they seized around 28 pieces of sized Indian Kino timber by searching the vehicle.
The seized timber, which was being smuggled to Jharkhand State from Karo reserve forest area, will be over 105 cubic feet roughly costing around Rs 1.5 lakh, said an official.
A manhunt has been launched to nab the absconding driver.
Ms Kalinga