Sri Vijaya Puram, 16 May: In a dramatic early morning operation, forest officials stormed a furniture workshop in Dollygunj and uncovered a hidden cache of 44 hand-sawn padauk planks, reviving fears that the island’s prized redwood is again falling prey to an underground logging network.
The seized haul, amounting to over half a cubic metre of premium-grade Category I(A) timber, is protected under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and cannot be transported without strict documentation. Valued for its rich hue and decay resistance, padauk is not just a luxury wood, it is a symbol of the Andamans’ fragile ecological wealth, now under renewed threat.
The raid, triggered by market intelligence and discrepancies in timber stock entries, was led by forest guard Abida Bibi and a joint squad from the Mobile and Garacharma Ranges. Officials walked into M/s Raju Furniture Mart during work hours and demanded proof of the padauk in plain sight. None was furnished. A deeper inspection exposed more timber tucked behind veneer sheets. The batch was sealed on the spot, and one person was taken into custody.
Booked under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest Produce Transit Rule, 1966, the suspect has been released on bail. But the investigation is just beginning. Officials are now using forensic log-tracing and plank markings to determine the source, whether these logs were smuggled out of reserved forest zones like Jirkatang, Wimberlygunj, or Betapur, all of which have a history of organised felling.
“This isn’t just a one-off theft,” a senior officer said on condition of anonymity. “Each plank tells a story of a tree felled illegally, of forest guards dodged, and a supply chain that profits from vanishing ecosystems.”
The department has urged citizens to come forward with any information on illegal logging or wildlife trafficking. All tips will be treated confidentially, and informants may be eligible for a reward. Meanwhile, cross-verification of sawmill logs, transport vouchers, and GST filings is underway.
If links are established to broader smuggling networks or collusion by licensed contractors, more arrests will follow. As the red veins of padauk are traced back to their stumps, this may be just the beginning of a far-reaching crackdown.
