Stolen Timber and Vehicle Seized from Patti Forest; Thieves Escape Under Cover of Darkness

 Stolen Timber and Vehicle Seized from Patti Forest; Thieves Escape Under Cover of Darkness

*Hoshiarpur/Daljeet Ajnoha/Nov 9

Acting on the directions of Chief Conservator Dr. Sanjeev Tiwari and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dharmveer Dheru, the Hoshiarpur Forest Department team has seized a vehicle loaded with illegally felled khaír (Acacia catechu) timber from government forest land in Patti. The accused managed to escape under the cover of darkness, reportedly armed, taking advantage of the situation. The incident took place around 3 a.m. on Sunday.The department has filed a report and forwarded it to higher authorities, while the police have been informed for further action. Forest Range Officer Jaspal Singh said he had received a tip-off that some individuals were engaged in illegal tree felling in the Patti forests. Acting promptly, he formed a team of forest officials and guards to conduct raids in the area.During patrol and checking near a liquor shop leading towards the forest, the team spotted a vehicle approaching and signaled it to stop. The vehicle, carrying four to five men with weapons, stopped briefly before the suspects verbally abused the forest team and attempted to attack them. However, once the officers identified themselves, the suspects fled into the nearby forest, leaving their vehicle behind.Upon inspection, the team recovered about 27 logs of khaír wood from the vehicle, which has been taken into custody. Officials have identified the driver as Suleman and are tracing the other suspects. Singh added that illegal loggers have caused extensive damage to forest resources in the region.Under the directives of senior department officers, special patrols and checkpoints have been strengthened to curb such activities. The department is also investigating a recent incident of khaír theft reported in the Dada village forests. Forest officials assure that the culprits will be brought to justice.For years, large-scale illegal felling of khaír and other valuable tree species has plagued government forest areas across Hoshiarpur, Dasuya, Pathankot, and Garhshankar. Despite sustained departmental efforts, timber thieves often succeed due to their possession of deadly weapons and alleged political protection.In a similar incident a few years ago in Chak Sadhu forest, timber smugglers attacked a forest team, but a department driver’s bravery saved the team and later earned him public recognition. The growing challenge now is how firmly the department can act to protect the region’s fast-depleting forest resources.