Repeated raids and seizures over several years have unmasked the area around Kelakhera in Udham Singh Nagar district as a critical storage and transit hub for a sprawling illegal timber smuggling network. Forest and police teams have consistently filed cases, uncovering an operation that sources valuable khair and teak wood from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and stockpiles it in villages surrounding Kelakhera.
A Pattern of Seizures Reveals the Network
Official records from the forest department paint a clear picture of persistent activity. Valuable timber has been frequently recovered from residential houses, godowns, vehicles, and even farmhouses in the peripheral villages. Officials point to the location's strategic proximity to the Uttar Pradesh border as a prime factor, making it attractive for smugglers aiming to move contraband across district lines while evading scrutiny.
The timeline of confiscations is extensive. One of the earliest documented seizures occurred on August 13, 2020, when a joint team raided a house in Bairia Daulat village and seized five teak logs. This was followed by another recovery on March 13, 2021, where Kelakhera police found 60 khair logs stashed in a house in Vijay Rampura village.
The operations continued unabated. On April 14, 2021, police intercepted a consignment of 20 khair logs during a routine check on the Rampura Kazi–Bajawala road, though the transporter managed to flee. A significant haul came on June 24, 2021, when forest officials seized a massive 200 khair logs from a farmhouse in Ganeshpur village, highlighting the substantial volumes being trafficked.
Recent Raids Show Unabated Activity
The smuggling trend has shown no signs of stopping. On February 28, 2022, authorities seized a pickup vehicle loaded with 20 quintals of khair timber. More recently, in March 2024, under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Officer Shashi Dev, forest teams recovered a large quantity of khair wood from godowns in Majhra Vidhi and Rampura Kazi villages.
Recent confiscations confirm that the illegal trade remains active. On June 22, 2023, a joint team intercepted a tractor-trolley carrying teak logs in the Bairia Daulat outpost area. This was followed by a seizure of six quintals of teak from a shop in Kelakhera on October 7, 2023. Further recoveries were made from a godown and a house on November 12 and November 27, respectively.
Officials Intensify Vigilance
Officials revealed that the scale of smuggling is significant even in a short timeframe. In just the past two months, approximately 50 quintals of khair and 15 quintals of teak have been seized from the Kelakhera area alone.
Shashi Dev, the Sub-Divisional Officer in Rudrapur, provided insight into the smugglers' evolving tactics. "Smugglers often use high-end vehicles such as SUVs to move timber and avoid checks," she stated. In response, vigilance has been ramped up along border routes and peripheral zones. Dev cited a recent example: "Last week, five khair logs were recovered from an SUV. The person linked to the seizure is yet to be traced." The statement underscores the ongoing challenge authorities face in dismantling the entire network, even as they successfully intercept consignments.
