Truckloads of teakwoods in Assam Rifles convoy intercepted
Whiff of inside hand in smuggling bid
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 18 2011: Six truck loads of teakwoods, which originated in Moreh on the Myanmar border have been intercepted at Maram along NH-2 while they were moving along with an Assam Rifles convoy.

Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, a reliable source, on condition of anonymity, said that six truckloads of teakwoods came all the way from Moreh to Imphal in civilian trucks along with a convoy of Assam Rifles on November 15 .

As done routinely, the convoy reported at the transit camp at Minuthong on November 15 and the teakwoods were then offloaded and uploaded on six Assam Rifles trucks on November 15/16 evening after which they left for Dimapur on November 17 morning.

On the journey towards Dimapur, one of the six trucks carrying teak broke down at Kangpokpi yesterday at about 7 am and it was at around this point of time that information of the movement of truckloads of teakwoods was received at the office of the IGAR (S), said the source.

Cut teak logs in a forested region

As soon as the news was received at Mantripukhri, where the headquarters of the IGAR (S) is situated, a team of AR personnel led by a Lt Colonel was despatched to intercept the truckloads of teak, said the source.

Information was also despatched to the Assam Rifles units located along NH-2 to be on the watch out for the convoy and intercept the trucks carrying the teakwoods, said the source.

The five truckloads of teakwoods were intercepted at Maram on NH-2 by an ROP team of 5 Assam Rifles, which has its headquarters at Maram.

The team from Imphal also reached the spot soon thereafter.

While the five truckloads of teak were being taken back to Imphal, one of them broke down at Senapati yesterday, forcing the AR team to spend the night at Senapati said the source.

Subsequently two trucks were requisitioned from the 5 Assam Rifles post at Senapati and the teakwoods were then loaded onto one of the trucks.

The teakwoods from the truck which had broken down at Kangpokpi were loaded onto the other truck, said the source further.

The unloading and loading exercise were taken up in full public view.

The team reached Imphal today at about 1.30 pm and the truckloads of teakwoods have been sent to the 26 Sector Assam Rifles at Pallel, where an inquiry is set to get underway soon.

The source said that the six truckloads made their way into the convoy of the Assam Rifles under the directives of an official attached at the office of the Assam Rifles DG at Shillong.

The registration numbers of the six civilian trucks have been given as NL11-1829, NL05P-1250, AS11AC-0325, NL11-1541, MN01-8371 and MN05D-9738 .

The estimated cost of the timber is Rs 70 lakhs.