NIJGAD: The smuggling of timber in the Chure area is on the rise.  Smugglers were found to have cut down saal, khayar, saaj and other species of trees from Parawanipur, Sigaula, Bhamara areas of the Chure forest.

Combating smuggling of timbers has been a tough task for the District Forest Office here since smugglers resort to various tricks and tweaks to ferry the woods illegally.

The Sector Forest Office recently seized a huge quantity of saal trees’ wood hidden by the smugglers. It was confiscated from Pashaha Khola, Ratanpur, and Sigaul, said Division Forest Office, Bara Chief Mohammad Mansoor. Smugglers had covered the wood by mud, sand and fodder leaves