Dharmanagar, Feb 10: Two personnel of the Forest Department were injured after the official vehicle of the Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO) met with an accident while attempting to stop illegal timber smuggling in the Dharmanagar subdivision of North Tripura district on Tuesday.
According to Forest Department sources, the incident occurred during a patrol operation launched on the basis of specific intelligence inputs regarding illegal teak timber transportation in the Hurua area. While forest officials were chasing a suspected Bolero vehicle involved in timber smuggling, the department’s vehicle collided with another Bolero on the road, resulting in injuries to the SDFO’s driver and another forest staff member.
SDFO Rakesh Das confirmed that both injured personnel sustained injuries in the collision and were provided medical assistance. Both vehicles involved in the accident suffered damage.
Forest officials stated that during the operation, a suspicious Bolero vehicle allegedly carrying illegally sourced teak wood was being pursued. However, amid the chase, the forest department’s vehicle collided with a separate Bolero vehicle, allowing the suspected timber-smuggling vehicle to escape from the spot.
Upon receiving information, Dharmanagar police promptly reached the scene, brought the situation under control, and seized the Bolero vehicle involved in the collision. The vehicle was later taken to the police station for further examination.
The driver of the seized Bolero, identified as Minar Ali, claimed that he was travelling along the road for personal reasons and was not involved in timber smuggling. He alleged that a fully covered Bolero was being chased by forest personnel and that the sudden reverse movement of that vehicle caused the collision.
Police officials said that the entire incident is under investigation. Efforts are underway to identify and trace those involved in the illegal timber smuggling racket.
