Kavre, January 11

Authorities in Kavre have ramped up their crackdown on the rampant timber smuggling in the district.

The District Police Office and the District Forest Office have launched a joint campaign to discourage the ongoing illegal practice. According to police, two persons were arrested yesterday as part of the campaign.

Rajan GC of Panauti Municipality and Harka Bahadur Tamang of Jaisithok VDC were held with a consignment of 40 sawed logs that was being smuggled in a mini-truck.

“As they didn’t have the necessary documents to prove that the timber was legal, we arrested them and Harka Bahadur, the driver,” police said.

Earlier, a joint team of Area Police Office, Panauti, and the Area Forest Office, acting on a tip-off, raided Ram Kastha Uddhog of Panauti Municipality a few days ago and seized 34 sawed logs. “All the seized timber has been submitted to the Area Forest office of Janagaal for necessary investigation and action,” said DSP Nabinraj Rai of District Police Office.

Five persons have been arrested so far for their involvement in the smuggling and sale of timber in the past one month ever since the campaign took off.