SANGUEM
Acting on a complaint lodged by villagers, the forest department at Quepem seized two logs of Rosewood tree from a timber factory at Xeldem village in Quepem taluka.
Panchayat Member Floriano Fernandes informed that a large number of vehicles would reach the factory early morning and would allegedly be loaded late evening with illegally felled wood to be cut into small pieces. The culprits involved in the act, which included the driver of a van and another person, fled from the site after throwing the wood out from the van before the arrival of officials from the forest department.
A tree cutting machine was also reportedly inside the van which the culprits threw outside before escaping the site.
The forest department on their arrival seized the confiscated material and also conducted the panchanama, informed the officials at the site.
Locals informed that the factory has been cutting felled trees on a large scale which is brought from remote areas of Sanguem and Quepem talukas.
