Surat: The Surat Forest Department has arrested Majid Nuruddin Malek, a key accused in a khair wood smuggling case registered on June 14, 2024, in the Mandvi South Range. The department also seized a truck loaded with khair wood, worth several lakhs of rupees.

Based on a tip-off, a joint team from Mandvi South Range and Vyara Range conducted a raid at 2 AM on April 21 in Kholtalav village of Vyara taluka. The accused, Majid Nuruddin Malek, Viral Vasanji Gamit, and a person named Nadeem, were caught loading khair wood onto a truck on private land. Upon seeing the authorities, all three tried to flee.

During the chase, Majid jumped into a pond, but forest officials surrounded it and apprehended him. The other two managed to escape. The team also arrested the truck driver, Anilkumar Ramchandra Gupta, and seized the vehicle (MH-12-DG-9888) loaded with khair wood.

Malek has multiple previous cases related to timber smuggling. He is reportedly involved in organized khair wood smuggling and was previously booked in similar cases in Vapi Range (2019–20), Sadadvel Range (2017–18), and even in Chinchapada Range of Maharashtra. He also faces a pending case at the Valod police station.

Malek, a habitual offender, was presented before Mandvi court, which granted his custody till April 25. The seized truck and timber have been handed over to the Vyara Range Forest Officer for further investigation. Forest officials have confirmed that efforts are underway to nab the remaining accused and dismantle the entire smuggling network. DeshGujarat