Inter-state wood smuggling racket busted in Agra, 4 held

Agra: An interstate wood-smuggling gang was busted in Agra, leading to the arrest of four individuals and the seizure of 19 tonnes of illegal Khair wood worth approximately Rs 50 lakh, police said on Saturday.According to police, the operation took place on Thursday night during routine checks by a team from New Agra Police Station, following a tip-off about banned Khair wood being transported in a truck from Agra to Mathura.Acting swiftly, the police informed forest department and established a checkpoint near Sultanganj crossing on the Agra-Mathura highway. The team intercepted a truck carrying the prohibited wood.Upon questioning, the driver and his accomplices were unable to produce valid permits for the consignment. The truck was seized on the spot, and they were detained. A case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Forest Act, including sections 26, 41, and 42.The accused were identified as Shahid Khan and Jabar Khan, both residents of Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh, and Devendra Singh Solanki and Mukesh Yadav, both from Datia district in Madhya Pradesh.Agra DCP (City) Sonam Kumar said, "During interrogation, the accused admitted that they were transporting the wood from Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, to Kangra in Himachal Pradesh via Uttar Pradesh."Two accomplices were traveling in a car ahead of the truck to scout for police or forest department checkpoints and alert the driver. Based on this information, police apprehended them as well. The car was also seized under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, she added.