Published on: Sept 03, 2025 05:34 am IST
The confiscated goods include 554 illegally transported Khair wood logs and four vehicles worth ₹32 lakh
MUMBAI: Officials of the Vasai-Virar Forest Development Corporation have busted a Khair wood smuggling racket and made two arrests of those who were loading the wood in a truck to transport it out of the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Early Sunday morning, forest officials received information that a Khair wood smuggling operation was planned on the Vajreshwari-Shirsad Road. They formed two teams within the limits of Parol village and set up a trap, an official said. “Lots of unchecked smuggling of the precious wood was being carried out in the forest. As soon as we learnt about it, we laid a trap,” he said.
According to officials, this is the first major operation in the Shirsad, Mandvi, and Ganeshpur forest ranges.
The two accused are identified as Sunil Yadav, a Nalasopara resident, and Gitesh Gowari, a Vikramgad resident. During interrogation, the accused revealed information about the three vehicles at Dhaniw Baug used in the smuggling. Following this, the officials raided the suspected location with the accused and seized three tempos loaded with Khair wood. The confiscated goods include 554 illegally transported Khair wood logs and four vehicles worth ₹32 lakh. The seized material is now kept at the Forest Development Office at Virar Phata.
Forest Range Officer Vaibhav Jadhav, Krishna Sanap, Forest Guard Abhijit Sonawane, Mahendra Solanki, Rangarao Chavan, Jagdish Dhangar, and employees of the Forest Development Board carried out this operation, after which they handed over the accused to the Mandvi police for further investigation.
The arrested duo was produced before a court in Vasai and remanded to police custody for three days.