AGARTALA, Jan 23 (TIWN): Wood smuggling is rampant in Tripura and due to negligence of forest Department officials, valuable trees from forest in Baramura hill including Ataromura hill are being destroyed by the forest bandits. Sometimes the forest department is able to detain the forest bandits and sometimes not.

Based on a tip-off, the forest department of Teliamura subdivision recovered a vehicle with stolen wood late on Sunday night. The incident took place in the Chakma Ghat area under the Forest Department of Teliamura subdivision.

It is known that secret news came to the forest department officials of Teliamura subdivision late on Sunday night that the stolen wood would be smuggled. Based on this secret sources information, the forest department staffs were sitting in the Chakmaghat area. After a long wait, the forest department staff got alerted when they noticed a wood-carrying vehicle in the early morning.

Later, the forest Department’s officials seized the vehicle but the driver of the vehicle escaped, said an official of the forest department. The official also said that another number plate was installed on the car.

The value of the car including the salvaged wood is said to be approximately Rs 65,000.