TEAM HERALD
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BELGAUM: In a major breakthrough, Belgaum district forest officials exposed smuggling of valuable medicinal herbs late Thursday night, after intercepting auto-rickshaws at the Belgaum Railway station and recovering sacks of ‘Mappia Foetida’ that was being transported to Delhi from the Goa Express.
Forest officials seized tonnes of ‘Mappia Foetida’, a banned medicinal herb worth lakhs of rupees that was smuggled from the thick forests of Western Ghats bordering Goa, Khanapur and other areas.
According to Deputy Conservator of Forests Ambadi Madhav, forest officials were on the prowl of a team of smugglers who were engaged in smuggling and black marketing of the herb.
After setting a trap, the team of forest officials under the guidance of DCF Ambadi Madhav followed vehicles that were carrying the herb. The herb was packed in two goods auto-rickshaws.
The officials intercepted the auto-rickshaws at Belgaum Railway station and recovered sacks of ‘Mappia Foetida’ that was being transported to Delhi from Goa Express.
“After cutting the plants, they used to cut it into pieces with the help of machine at a farm house at Alarwad near Belgaum. Later, the firm used fake bills to transport the herbs to New Delhi from where it was exported to Germany and other countries. I strongly suspect an interstate nexus,” DCF Ambadi Madhav told Herald.
Officials have arrested Mahesh Kapshi of Belgaum and three others, while their accomplices are at large. The accused have been reprimanded to judicial custody till March 20.
Ashok Gouder, ACF Khanapur Range, S M Sangolli, ACF Kankumbi Range, assisted by forest staff that carried out the raids at the farm house at Belgaum are investigating the case.
Officials suspect that smugglers from Tillari area from Chandga taluka in Maharashtra are also engaged in smuggling different medicinal herbs that are available in plenty in the dense forests bordering Goa.
