ABBOTTABAD: The Forest Department has intensified its crackdown against illegal timber smuggling, seizing a consignment of illegally transported Biar timber during an anti-smuggling operation in Siran Forest Division.
The operation was conducted on the night of August 31 at around 3:00 am on the Sarmast Road near Neeli Shung, as part of the ongoing anti-smuggling campaign being carried out on the directives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Secretary Forests, KP.
The action was carried out under the supervision of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Hazara Region, Conservator Lower Hazara and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Siran Division, with special directions from the DFO and supervision of the Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO), Battal.
According to the Forest Department, field staff intercepted a vehicle allegedly involved in the illegal transportation of timber. The suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene, leaving behind the illegally transported Biar timber.
The forest staff took the recovered timber into government custody and initiated further legal proceedings against those involved.
The department reiterated its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against forest crimes, illegal tree cutting and timber smuggling. Officials said intelligence-based operations, night patrols and legal action would continue to protect the province’s valuable forest resources.
The latest action highlights the importance of sustained field surveillance and enforcement to curb illegal logging and protect forest ecosystems in the Hazara region.
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