Longadu, Rangamati , Apr 27 (V7N) – Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel from the Rajnagar Zone (37 BGB) have seized a significant amount of illegal timber during a raid in Longadu Upazila of Rangamati.

Acting on confidential information, a BGB patrol team led by Havildar Md. Moniruzzaman, under the command of Rajnagar Zone Commander Lieutenant Colonel Md. Nahid Hasan, PSC, conducted an operation on Sunday afternoon at Jarulchhara, within their area of responsibility. The team discovered a group of smugglers engaged in illegal logging.

During the raid, the BGB confiscated 277 cubic feet (CFT) of abandoned Gamari wood. The estimated value of the seized timber is 415,500 Bangladeshi Taka.

According to the Rajnagar Battalion (37 BGB), this operation brings the total amount of illegal timber seized this year to 2,277.73 CFT through 31 separate operations in the region. The total estimated value of the confiscated timber in these operations stands at 3,969,465 Bangladeshi Taka.

Lieutenant Colonel Md. Nahid Hasan, the commander of the Rajnagar Battalion, emphasized the detrimental impact of illegal logging and timber smuggling on the forest and the environment. He stated that the BGB patrol team's efforts have been crucial in preventing revenue evasion associated with such activities carried out by unscrupulous timber traders in the hilly region.

Lieutenant Colonel Hasan further affirmed that in line with directives from higher authorities, the BGB's operational and intelligence activities focused on border security and preventing smuggling are ongoing and will be intensified in the future. This recent seizure of illegal timber is a continuation of these efforts.