Firing between forest personnel and timber smugglers in Dibrugarh

A CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: A heavy firing took place between forest personnel and timber smuggler at Hakunguri beat under Joypur range in Dehing Patali National Park in Dibrugarh on Tuesday night.

According to sources, a forest patrolling party was patrolling in the area when they heard sounds of machines used for cutting trees. They reached the spot to verify but on seeing them, the timber smugglers fired at them and in reply they fired at the timber smugglers.

Confirming the incident, Dibrugarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), BV Sandeep said that on Tuesday night, firing took place between forest official and timber smugglers.

"Our forest patrolling party heard sound of machines cutting trees. They reached the spot to verify the incident and as a result firing started between forest personnel and timber smugglers. The smugglers fled from the spot. We have seized one machine used for cutting trees," said DFO. He said, "This year this was the fourth incident reported from the area. Our forest staff is ready to give a befitting reply to the timber smugglers."

"Illegal logging has been going on in Dehing Patkai National Park. Every day, the timber smugglers are slashing trees in the forest area. Many timber mills have been mushrooming in the Arunachal Pradesh area and the timber smugglers use elephants and small trucks to transport timber from the forest after cutting them," said a source.

Last year, an encounter took place between security personnel and timber smugglers in the Dehing Patkai National Park in upper Assam which resulted in the death of an elephant. The elephant was hit with a bullet in the crossfire. After this incident, it has been exposed that the timber smugglers are using elephants to transport timbers from forest.

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