Khair wood smuggling: 14 properties of accused attached in Godhra

Surat: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached 14 immovable properties worth Rs 11.3 crore in Godhra on Thursday in connection with the 2024 khair wood smuggling case registered by the Mandvi South Range of the forest department in Surat.ED attached the properties of the accused, Mustak Aadam Tasiya and Tahir Ahemad Hussain, both residents of Godhra, and Arifali Amjadali Makrani, a resident of Alirajpur in Madhya Pradesh. The attachment was carried out in Godhra following detailed financial investigations.
The case dates back to June 2024, when the forest department seized 2,055MT of khair wood from the depot of Shalimar Enterprise in Alirajpur. The seized consignment was later brought to Mandvi for further legal proceedings.Investigations revealed that the accused were allegedly involved in the illegal felling of khair trees from forest areas and wildlife sanctuaries across Tapi, Surat, Valsad, Navsari, and Narmada districts. The illegally obtained timber was transported and sold in different states.Forest officials said the large-scale smuggling caused severe damage to forest ecosystem and led to the destruction of the natural habitat of several wildlife species.During scrutiny of financial documents recovered from the accused, officials also found details of Rs 26 lakh in cash transactions. The amount was traced to the R Kantiala Angadia firm in Vapi, which reportedly was not collected by the accused."It is an important action by ED against the accused involved. Further investigations are underway to identify additional beneficiaries and financial links connected to the smuggling network," said Puneet Nayyar, conservator of forest, Surat. Meanwhile, in the ongoing probe, the forest department arrested another accused, Abbas Hafiz Khan, a resident of Bhilad and a native of Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday, said Dhiraj Kumar, DCF, Surat.