The Chittagong North Forest Department has launched a special drive to prevent smuggling of forest products, and timber worth Tk 30 lakh including teak were seized in the last 3 months while being smuggled out to different destinations of the country.
The seized forest products and vehicles have been kept at Kalurghat government timber depot and check station.
According to the Chittagong North Forest Department, about 3,900 cubic feet of timber including teak, 2,000 cubic feet of firewood, 112 cubic feet of fuel wood, 112 pieces of galleys, 56 pieces ready-made wooden doors, 39 squares, 18 window sills, 38 other items including teak wood furniture, 740 pieces of bariyala bamboo, 6 covered vans, 9 trucks, 4 pickups, 1 trailer, 7 jeeps, 1 Mahindra, 1 van, 1 tomtom and 30 vehicles were seized.
These timber-laden vehicles were seized from Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, Rangamati-Chittagong Road, Khagrachhari-Ramgarh-Chittagong Road, Karnaphuli Bridge Road, Kalurghat Bridge Road and other roads in Chittagong city.
Eighteen people were arrested in various raids for smuggling of forest products at Hathazari bit-cum check station, Raozandhala bit-cum check station and Narayanhat bit and 43 cases have been filed against the detainees in the Chittagong Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court.
City Range Officer Assistant Forest Conservator Braj Gopal Rajbangshi said that despite the shortage of staff and vehicles, the Chittagong North Forest Department has intensified drive to curb forest products smuggling.
Traffickers are smuggling timber in triple-covered trucks, mini-trucks, under sand, vegetable-laden carts, brick-laden carts, covered vans, to avoid watchful eyes of the men on duty or the crackdown on illegal smuggling of forest products. A joint task force operation including members of RAB-7 is being conducted in the sensitive areas.