Gujarat : ED Joins Forest Dept in Biggest Khair Wood Smuggling Crackdown

Surat | Gujarat — For the first time, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has got involved in the biggest action against the smuggling of Khair wood with the Surat Forest Department in the Mandvi South forest range. Looking at the seriousness of the forest crime registered in the Mandvi South Range, the Forest Department had handed over the case to the ED, following which the ED has seized properties worth Rs 11.3 crores of the main accused Arif Ali Amjad Ali Makrani and his associates. This action is the biggest step taken so far against wildlife conservation and economic crimes in the state.

Inter-state smuggling network exposed

During the investigation, it has been revealed that this was a highly organized criminal gang, which was illegally stealing Khair wood from the protected forests of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra besides Gujarat. This gang mainly included people like Arif Ali, Mushtaq Adam Tasiya and Tahir Ahmed Hussain Mohan. They were earning crores of rupees by transporting banned timber from the borders of various states and selling it in the market. To break this inter-state network, the Surat Forest Department made accurate use of informants and technical surveillance.

Strict legal constraints under PMLA

Initially, the Surat Forest Department registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and started an investigation. However, as there was suspicion of benami financial transactions worth crores of rupees in this case, the ED took over the investigation on the recommendation of the Forest Department. The ED started an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in this case and found that the black money obtained through smuggling was used to buy large properties, on the basis of which the seizure action has been taken.

Immovable properties worth Rs 11.3 crore seized

The biggest blow in the ED investigation came when a total of 14 immovable properties were identified by the accused after stealing forest property. The estimated market value of these properties is Rs 11.3 crore, which has been provisionally attached by the ED. This is the first case of Gujarat to seize such a large amount of property in wildlife related crimes. The main purpose of this stringent step is to break the economic backbone of the forest mafia, so that such crimes are prevented in the future.

June 2024 raids and crores of wood

This entire scam was exposed in a major operation carried out in June 2024. During the investigation, a raid was conducted on a depot named ‘Shalimar Enterprises’ located in Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh, from where approximately 2055 metric tons of Khair wood was seized. It was revealed that a total of 247 trucks were used to bring this quantity of wood to Mandvi. The value of this seized wood is estimated at around Rs 10 crore, which makes clear the extent of smuggling.

Environmental damage and government policy

Indiscriminate cutting of Khair trees causes serious damage to the environment and the natural habitat of wildlife. Under the ‘zero tolerance’ policy of the Gujarat government, strict action has been ordered against the elements who damage such national assets. This joint success of the Forest Department and the ED shows that environmental crimes are now being taken as seriously as economic crimes. Protection of forests is the priority of the government and this case is an example of it.

Search and investigation of absconding accused intensifies

Currently, another main accused involved in this case, Tahir Ahmed Hussain Mohan, is absconding. The ED and Forest Department teams have launched investigations in different states to nab the accused. A detailed investigation is also underway to find out whether any other bigwigs are involved in this smuggling racket and how many transactions have been made through bank accounts. It is likely that some more properties will be seized in the coming days.

A red light case for forest mafia

This joint action of the Forest Department and the ED has created a huge stir among the forest mafia of the state. This case proves that now forest thieves will not only go behind bars, but all their illegally acquired properties will also be seized. The Forest Department has also appealed to the public to cooperate in the protection of forest property and immediately report any suspicious activity so that the environment can be saved.