Inspired by film ‘Pushpa’, smugglers alter vehicles to transport teakwood in Telangana
However, alert forest officials apprehended the vehicle on Monday night, leading to the seizure of teak wood worth Rs 60,000 and the arrest of two persons
Bhupalpally: Smugglers in the densely forested Bhupalpally and Sironcha areas on the Telangana-Maharashtra border have adopted tactics from the popular film “Pushpa: The Rise” to conceal teakwood logs in a modified pickup truck. However, alert forest officials apprehended the vehicle on Monday night, leading to the seizure of teak wood worth Rs.60,000 and the arrest of two persons.
“They concealed the timber logs beneath the truck to evade detection during transportation. The teakwood, sourced from Sironcha in Maharashtra, was being illicitly smuggled into Bhupalpally. A case has been filed, and investigation is underway,” District Forest Office (DFO) B Lavanya told Telangana Today.
Meanwhile, sources said people were purchasing the smuggled wood in the erstwhile Warangal district. Timber smugglers were reportedly selling a single six-feet long and six-inch wide log between Rs 5,000 to 6,000, while the same log would typically cost between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,200 in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh States for them.
It is also alleged that some officials from the forest department in Mahadevapur and Palimela mandals are also involved the illegal trade. The government must establish check posts at strategic bridges and bolster river patrols to effectively deter teakwood smuggling in Bhupalpally district, said an official on condition of anonymity.
