Siliguri, 30th May: In a major breakthrough, the Forest Department team from Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, led by Range Officer Deepak Rasaily, arrested four members of a timber smuggling gang in a raid conducted around 3 a.m. on Friday at Mohargaon and Gulma Tea Garden under Pradhan Nagar Police Station.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Ritik Baraik (24), Kausal Lama (29), Yogesh Lama (30), and Abhay Tiru (31). They were wanted in multiple forest offence cases and had reportedly gathered to plan another illegal activity.
Sal timber worth ₹5 lakh was recovered during the raid. The gang was active in smuggling timber from forests around Siliguri, Kurseong foothills, and the Dooars, with operations extending to Bihar and Jharkhand.
All four accused were produced before the ACJM Court in Siliguri and have been remanded to judicial custody.