With the arrest of one person, officials of Bhaderwah ForestDivision (BDF) on Thursday claimed to have seized 28 kilograms of illegallyharvested wild garlic (Allium ursinum) from Bhallessa area of Dodadistrict.
The wild garlic, also known as wood garlic, with a marketprice of Rs 7 lakh, and believed to be a vulnerable species, was being smuggledto Punjab, said DFO Bhaderwah, Chander Shekhar.
According to reports, acting on a specific informationdeveloped by Range Officer (RO) Chirala, Shafqat Khakaan Malik, regarding therare herb being smuggled, a joint party of Forest officials and police laid aNaka at Thathri, 60 km from here on Batote-Kishtwar National Highway.
“After receiving information about the consignmentbeing smuggled to Amritsar, we informed SP Bhaderwah, Raj Singh Gouria and withthe help of police, intercepted a passenger bus (JK02BM-3195) and seized 28kilograms of wild garlic kept in 3 gunny bags,” said DFO Bhaderwah,Chander Shekhar.
“In this regard, a case under section 6 and 26 ofForest Act has been registered and the smuggler, who was carrying banned herb,identified as Arif Hussain son of Mohammad Sultan of Sanwara-Chilli of Gundoh,has been detained,” DFO informed.
“This is the major seizer,” claimed the DFO.”Bhaderwah Forest is known for having a good concentration of wood garlic.It was during a sight visit that the excessive harvesting was noticed.
We see it regularly, but of this magnitude, it is ratherrare,” DFO said.
This was the third operation of its kind this month asearlier 500 kilograms and 650 kilograms of Zakhm-e-hayat (Bergenia Ciliata)worth Rs 12 lakh was recovered while being smuggled to Chamba town of HimachalPradesh on July 1st and 11 this year.
Woodland garlic is a vulnerable species and offenders foundguilty will have to pay heavy fines, said Shafat Khaqaan Malik, Range OfficerChirala.
Found in the altitude of 2500 to 3800 meter in Himalayanregion, Allium ursinum, known as wild garlic, ramsons, buckrams, broad-leavedgarlic, wood garlic, bear leek or bear’s garlic, is a bulbous perennialflowering plant in the lily family Amaryllidaceae. It is a wild relative ofonion, native to Europe and Asia, where it grows in moist woodland.