Teak smugglers attack officials and villagers in Nirmal district of Telangana

ADILABAD: Four base camp watchers of the forest department and two locals of Phakripet in Pembi range forest of Nirmal district were severely injured in an attack by ‘multanis’ (notorious smugglers) late on Wednesday night. The officials had confronted the accused while they were trying to smuggle teak timber on bullock carts.

Four forest watchers and eight villagers tried to intercept the bullock carts in which the smugglers were transporting teak wood logs. The smugglers then allegedly attacked the villagers and forest officials with axes and started pelting stones on them. Despite being injured, the officials and villagers tried to nab the smugglers, forcing them to flee deep into the forest.The injured were shifted to Nirmal government hospital and the forest department has seized seven bullock carts and recovered logs worth `3 lakh.