Dewanthang Police have detained four men in connection with timber smuggling. One of them is a Bhutanese from Ashikhar village in Dewathang. The other three are from India.
The men were caught last night by forestry officials following a tip off. They are said to have been in illegal business for some time now.
The man from Ashikhar was given timber permit for a construction of house. Instead of using for the given purpose, he sold them off.
The Chief Forestry Officer in Samdrup Jongkhar said smuggling of timber and selling it illegally to people from across the border is common in the area. “Monitoring and apprehending the culprits is often difficult due to manpower shortage,” he said.
