Forest officials of the Kakulia Forest Range under Santirbazar Subdivision of South Tripura have seized a vehicle allegedly involved in the illegal transportation of sand.
According to forest authorities, illegal extraction and transportation of sand from various locations under the jurisdiction of the Kakulia Forest Range has been continuing for some time, allegedly carried out by a section of unscrupulous sand smugglers.
Acting on a tip-off, officials of the Kakulia Forest Range conducted a special operation on Friday and intercepted a sand-laden vehicle bearing registration number TR-02-G-1741. The vehicle was subsequently seized for allegedly transporting sand without proper authorization.
Speaking to the local media persons, the Range Officer of the Kakulia Forest Range provided details of the operation and stated that action is being taken in accordance with the law.
In a separate incident, police personnel carried out enforcement duties usually associated with forest protection when they intercepted a timber-laden vehicle in the Namanjoy area of North Maharanipur under Kalyanpur police station of Khowai district on Thursday night. The vehicle was reportedly being used for the illegal transportation of timber.
However, upon noticing the presence of law enforcement officers, the driver abandoned the vehicle and managed to flee from the spot. Authorities have launched further investigations into the matter and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those involved in the alleged smuggling activities.