Srinagar : Police on Sunday said that it has successfully busted a timber smuggling racket operating across the Kashmir Valley. This marks the first FIR registered under organised crime for timber smuggling in the region.
In a statement issued from Zonal Police Headquarters Srinagar Police said that it received credible inputs about the illegal felling of willow trees on Government owned Rakh land in Rakh Duslipora in Nowgam Circle (Gund Ibrahim) by a group of smugglers and transportation of the said timber in a Tata Mobile vehicle (JK18D/2556) for illegal sale in Pattan and nearby areas. Stating that while responding swiftly alert squads of police ntercepted and seized the vehicle along with 25 stolen timber logs Police in its statement further said that a case under FIR No. 50/2025 was registered at Police Station Pattan under Sections 324(3), 112(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation is underway.
Police in its statement further said that the prime accused, John Mohd Bhat R/o Naina Batpora, Pulwama, fled from the scene but was later tracked and arrested from Pulwama, Stating therein further that arrests and recoveries are expected as investigations continue.
In the concluding para of its above quoted statement police said that it remains committed to take strict action against organised crime and environmental offenses to safeguard public resources and uphold the law.
