Forest Department personnel nabbed four policemen while they were illegally transporting teak wood in a police van near the Forest Gate under Paralakhemundi Forest Division in Gajapati district on Wednesday.
The four policemen have been identified as Bharat Mahakud, Yasavanta Acharya, Chinmay Behera and the driver of the van Sridhar Mohapatra who are Jawans in the Odisha State Armed Police (OSAP) 3rd Battalion. They are presently questioned.
According to ACF Paralakhemundi, a special team of the Forest Department Informed that the police van, bearing registration number OD-05 AK 5733, belongs to the Odisha State Armed Police (OSAP) 3rd Battalion, has been confiscated.
As per reports, the Forest officials intercepted the police van during checking near the Forest Gate on Wednesday night.
During searches, they were illegally transporting teak wood in a police van and seized 35 cubic feet of Teakwood, planks and logs in the vehicle the accused were detained for questioning.
"On searching the police vehicle, we found woods loaded in the vehicle. We took the vehicle to the Division office and unloaded the logs. The market value of the 100 teakwood and timber logs found in the vehicle is estimated of rupees Rs 1.5 lakh.," informed ACF Gouri Prasad Rath.
The driver, however, admitted that he himself had bought timber from the Gandahati area for his house and was illegally taking it to Puri in a police vehicle.
Further investigation is underway
( With inputs from ANI )
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