NASHIK: Teakwood timber was being smuggled in a gray Innova car by timber smugglers from Gujarat through the Umbarthan forest reserve of Nashik East Forest Department, which is on the border of Maharashtra and Gujarat. As soon as the forest patrol team got the information, the team set a trap and foiled the smuggling plot. The boundaries of Peth, Harsul, Surgana, Umbarthan and Barhe forest reserves in Nashik district are very sensitive.
Valuable tree resources like timber of teak and khaira in the area are continuously looted by smugglers from Gujarat with the help of some locals. Forest Ranger Sandeep Jople got confidential information that a large quantity of sago wood was being smuggled in an Innova from the outskirts of Mhaskhadak village in Umbarthan forest reserve.
He sent a forest squad to Gujarat for illegal transportation of teak wood. The patrol team of Umbarthan Forest Range Office has gone to Gujarat from the Gujarat Regional Transport Registration Number of the used Innova car. The team reached the city along with the border villages in Gujarat to find out the owner of the car and who was in possession of the car. Taking the squad with him, he set a trap and stopped the Innova (GJ15CB6519) car by trap.