Changes in Forest Act to check smuggling

 

According to highly-placed sources, the proposals include powers to police and forest officials to identify illegally acquired properties of smugglers, seizure or freezing of the said property and management of seized properties.

 

The authorities also requested the government to set up special courts at Kadapa and Chittoor for speedy disposal of red sanders smuggling cases. The police department had detained 63 smugglers under the PD Act since June 2014 and they have been keeping a close watch on the kingpins among smugglers following information on their plans to file petitions in the court to obstruct auction of red sanders.

 

The forest and police department have been devising a publicity campaign once again in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka about the consequences and legal punishments for chopping red sanders trees. The focus will be more on Javvadi Malai Forest Area in Tamil Nadu since most of the woodcutters, who are illiterate, are from that area.

 

It is estimated that 5000 MT of red sanders was smuggled out of India during 2013-14 through NE states, Bengal, Bihar, UP, Uttarakhand to China, Bhutan and Myanmar or through seaports such as Mumbai, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Tuticorin to Dubai and subsequently to China.

 

There are 5,321 cases transferred to the forest department by police department or booked by the forest wing during last the 11 years and seizure of more than 5,000 vehicles.

 

Of this, no person was arrested in 3,096 cases. There are 15 incidents of smugglers attacking police, and police opening fire on smugglers in self-defence. In the process, 29 smugglers died and several police personnel injured.