Smugglers abandon wood - laden pickup truck in a hail of fire

Gaur (Rautahat)- The wood smugglers in Rautahat have been found to be using vehicles with Indian registration plates for illegal transportation of wood.

The fact was substantiated further after smugglers left a vehicle with Indian registration number on Thursday night in a shroud of confusion of shots fired by local authorities.

The smugglers reportedly left a vehicle with two registration plates, one showing Indian registration number – UP 41 AT 3812 – and another from Nepal – Na 34 Cha 6150 – as they fled in a rush.

A night patrol from the District Forest Office had fired shots in the air which forced the smugglers to leave behind the pickup truck along with the wood.

The forest patrol team from Bishrampur of Brindaban rural municipality fired 10 rounds into the air after which it was able to confiscate the pickup truck with six logs or 60 cubic feet of wood from the Sal tree, District Forest Office, Rautahat stated.

The patrol team followed the pickup van that entered the forest from the East – West Highway, and as the smugglers did not heed to the repeated warnings the shots were fired, according to District Forest Office, Forest Official, Dirgha Narayan Koirala.

In late November last year, forest officials had confiscated a pickup truck with Indian registration number – BR 06 GA 9687 – along with smuggled wood. The smugglers are known to use pickup trucks, tractors, trailers, motorbikes and even cycles to transport wood.

In the fiscal year 2016/17, the District Forest Office, Rautahat took under control two pickup trucks, eight tractors, three trailers, four motorbikes and 29 cycles.