Illegal sawing unit seized in Handwara’s Bhagatpora

Kupwara, Sep 17: In a significant development, an illegal sawing unit, being operated from a tin shed in an orchard near the house of a PSA convict was seized on Thursday afternoon in Bhagatpora area of Handwara. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Langate Ihazaz Ahmad told Greater Kashmir that while acting on a tip-off, an illegal sawing unit and 32 cft of deodar timber, both sawn and semi-finished, was seized on the spot. Meanwhile, Forest Division Langate in a statement said, "Today on a reliable input one illegal installed planner 12 inches alongwith six allied sawing tools functioning from a tinshed in an orchard close to a house of PSA Convict in Bhagatpora lane was detected/dismantled".

"All adjoining houses were searched thoroughly and timber dumped under empty apple wooden cases were detected and near about 32 cft of deodar timber in sawn and semi finished form was recovered.

All the seizure was lifted from the houses and carted to Langate Seizure Depot. One FIR 213/2025 has been lodged against the involved culprit. Investigation are on to detect the source of illicit timber seized and how come it was installed/operationaltion close to town," reads the statement further.