SuratL The Gujarat Forest Department has uncovered a major racket involved in stealing Khair (Acacia catechu) wood from various forests across South Gujarat. They seized 2,055 metric tonnes of Khair wood worth ₹5.13 crore in Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh. The thefts occurred over the past four years.

Following the interception of a truck in Surat’s Mandvi South Range on June 16th, forest officials raided a depot in Alirajpur. The wood seized during the raid had been illegally collected from forests across Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, Surat, Narmada, Bharuch, and Dahod districts in Gujarat.

During the raid, forest officials arrested Arifali Amjalali Makrani, the depot manager, on charges related to theft of wood and violations of the Wildlife Protection Act. Makrani’s bail application was later rejected by the court. Investigations are ongoing to uncover others involved in this illicit Khair wood trade network.

Officials suspect that multiple routes in South Gujarat were used to transport illegally cut Khair wood, with no preventive actions taken by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) or other authorities. The forest department aims to audit the total quantity of stolen Khair wood and profits over the past four years. DeshGujarat