Bandipora: The Forest department seized a car with illegal timber in Halmathpora village of Bandipora in Kuihama forest range on Friday night.
According to officials, the beat officer along with forest guards were looking for six smugglers after constant reports of smuggling.
The smugglers had cut the tree and were loading the timber in a Maruti car when the forest officials arrived at 3 am, the officials said.
They said that the smugglers had cut 51 cft of timber from Compartment No 9 of Halmathpora in the Kuihama range of forests and were loading them in a Maruti car.
“Three logs were already loaded in the car while the rest of the timber was lying around when we arrived,” the officials said.
They said that apart from the timber and vehicle, all the equipment used in cutting and transporting the timber had been seized.
Forest officials said that the driver, who had been identified, had fled from the spot and that five other smugglers had not been identified yet.
Division Forest Officer Bandipora, Shabir Ahmad Mir said a particular car was used in smuggling the timber.