Truck caught smuggling timber forfeited

GH Farooqui

CHITRAL: A court in the Drosh town of Lower Chitral has ordered forfeiture of a truck that was caught smuggling precious timber out of Chitral over a month ago.

The court of forest magistrate Tausifullah also imposed a fine of Rs200,000 on the smuggler and impounded the timber. 

The 10-wheeler was caught at the Baradam forest checkpost near Lowari tunnel on November 3 after staff found 25 planks of deodar concealed in its cavities. It has been learnt that the truck’s driver and his helper belonged to Nowshera and Charsadda.

The district administration of Lower Chitral has expedited its crackdown on elements involved in smuggling timber out of Chitral. It is suspected that the mafia has been involved in the illegal practice for long but in the past no such efforts were made to foil their activities.