Pumpkin Pushpa in north Bengal: logs were hidden under pumpkins

On Monday, we intercepted a truck laden with Burmese teak logs on NH27 at Raninagar on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri, says forest officer

Logs of Burmese teak found hidden under pumpkins at Raninagar in Jalpaiguri district on Monday.The Telegraph

TT   |   Siliguri   |   20.12.22  :  Recurring seizures of Burmese teak in north Bengal over the past few months have made foresters dub the smuggling bids “Pushpa style”, the name borrowed from a Telugu blockbuster.

In Pushpa: The Rise, released last year, the main character played by Allu Arjun is seen smuggling timber in milk tankers.

In recent times, forest officials have recovered several illegal timber consignments that are in demand across India and Middle East.

Burmese teak logs are often hidden in the truck’s deck under various items, ranging from sacks of broken glass and coal to rice bran, bamboo and vegetables.

“On Monday morning, we intercepted a truck laden with teak on NH27 at Raninagar on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri. In this case, the logs were hidden under pumpkins. It seems timber smugglers are trying to use the tactics shown in last year’s film (Pushpa) but their concealment tactic fell flat,” said a senior forest officer.

According to forest department sources, raids in the past six months yielded 40 trucks of teak worth around Rs 5 crore. As many as 60 persons were arrested. 

A forester explained the modus operandi. “Teak is smuggled into India from Myanmar, stacked in Assam and other Northeast states, cut into logs and loaded in trucks, concealed under various items. The trucks use the Siliguri corridor,” he said.