SOLUKHUMBU: Authorities here in Solukhumbu district on Saturday arrested four people on the charge of timber smuggling.

The staffers at the Solukhumbu District Forest Office (DFO) held Phurba Sherpa of Dhudhkunda Municipality-5 in Solukhumbu district along with three others for trying to smuggle timber.

A patrol team deployed from the DFO spotted three persons smuggling timbers to nearby the Solu River in the wee hours of Saturday.

After investigating further, the team discovered a stash of 206 timbers at Phurba Sherpa's house, added District Forest Officer Meghraj Rai.

The four arrested have been handed over to the community police for further action.

It has been learned that Sherpa had been involved in timber smuggling for a long time while the three others were hired for the job, added the DFO.

Meanwhile, two persons were arrested with timber worth more than two million from Badaharamal-1 in Siraha district on Saturday.

Local Bhola Dhami (50) and Shiva Shankar Paswan (52) of Gautari in Siraha were arrested with the timber, including saal, silau and saaj, weighing around 800 cubic feet.