Second seizure of illegally-procured teak in less than 24 hours
Delhi: Less than a day after more than 100 cubic feet of illegally-procured teak was seized at Old Delhi Railway Station, another consignment of a higher quantity headed for the same station was intercepted and seized today at Ghaziabad Railway Station.
The consecutive seizures have brought to light the extent of wood smuggling going on in the country, highlighting possible threats to India’s forest and wildlife.
Both the cargos were parcelled from Assam, and followed the same modus operandi. The consignment was declared as ’35 bdl w/photo-frame hand parcel’; however, apart from a few bundles of wood strips, the rest was block wood that can be sold or used for purpose other than mentioned.
A Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) officer who assisted the authorities in the seizure, said, “The wood arrived in two compartments leased by the Railways to a company registered as, ‘Global Carrying India’, based in Guwahati. According to the declaration papers, there were 35 bundles in each compartment weighing about 3,900 kg each, meant for making photo-frames. However, only two bundles in one of the compartments (Front SLR/FC 06708) comprised of wooden strips; rest were all wooden blocks.”
The declaration papers have also revealed the name of one Inderjit Das, who was the consigner as well as the consignee.
The operation today was jointly carried out by the Forest and Railway authorities assisted by non-government organisations People for Animals and WTI.
“Mr NP Singh, DFO, Gautambudh Nagar, coordinated the seizure, along with other authorities. Further investigation is going on,” the WTI official added.
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