Timber smuggling rampant in Netrakona
Unabated smuggling of timber is going on along Durgapur border here.
About 1,000 cubic feet (CFT) of timber is being smuggled out of the country every month through the border, local people said.
A gang of 30 timber smugglers are running the illegal trade allegedly with the help of some unscrupulous forest officials here, they said. Nizamuddin of Mukterpara in Durgapur Pourasabha is leading the smugglers, they said.
Forest officials seized over 2,000 cubic feet (CFT) of smuggled timber worth about Tk 30 lakh with the help of local people in last one year, according to Forest Range office. Cases were filed against 54 people.
Durgapur forest officials seized 308 CFT Indian Sagun and Gazari timber worth about Tk 4 lakh from the Sumeshowary in Mukterpara Wednesday night.
In another drive, they seized 168 CFT Sagun and Gazari timber from Chandrigor Bazar.
On contact, Durgapur Sadar forest bit officer Nuhus Hajong said he filed two separate cases accusing 18 persons including Nizamuddin.
When contacted, Durgapur Police Station sub-inspector (SI) Amzad Hossain, also investigation officer (IO) of the cases, said an investigation is going on to find out the actual culprits.
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