Agartala, June 03, 2026: A major anti-smuggling operation launched by the Forest Department in Tripura’s Kanchanpur subdivision turned violent late Monday night when alleged timber smugglers attacked a forest team with sharp weapons, leaving seven forest personnel seriously injured and two official vehicles extensively damaged.

The incident occurred in the Chandipur area under Kanchanpur Police Station after forest officials received intelligence about the illegal transportation of a large quantity of valuable government-owned teak timber. Acting on the tip-off, a special team of the Forest Department rushed to the spot to intercept the smugglers.

According to Forest Department sources, as soon as the team reached the area, a group of alleged timber smugglers and their associates surrounded the officials, blocked their vehicles and launched a coordinated attack using machetes, spears and sticks. The attackers allegedly vandalized two Forest Department vehicles bearing registration numbers TR-01-30952 and TR-01K-0872 before assaulting the personnel.

The injured officials have been identified as Foresters Shantanu Debnath, Swapan Saha, Banti Mursuddi and Ujiham Riang, along with Forest Guards Mintu Bhowmik, Debashish Pal and Gopikanta Tripura. All seven sustained serious injuries during the assault and were reportedly left lying on the ground.

As the situation deteriorated, a distress call was made to Kanchanpur Police Station. A police team led by Officer-in-Charge Srikantha Rudra Pal rushed to the spot, rescued the injured personnel and shifted them to Kanchanpur Sub-Divisional Hospital for treatment. Hospital sources stated that several of the victims suffered severe physical injuries, while the condition of seven injured personnel is reported to be critical.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the smugglers allegedly fled the area with a large quantity of teak timber loaded in two vehicles.

The incident has triggered widespread concern across Kanchanpur subdivision and renewed attention on the growing menace of illegal timber smuggling in the region. Local residents and environmental activists have alleged that valuable timber has been systematically smuggled out of various forest areas for years, causing significant losses to government resources.

The attack has also raised serious questions about the influence of organized timber-smuggling networks operating in the subdivision and the repeated threats faced by forest personnel during enforcement drives.

The Kanchanpur Forest Department has lodged a formal complaint with Kanchanpur Police Station, and an investigation has been initiated. However, residents have demanded immediate special operations to identify and arrest those responsible, dismantle the alleged timber-smuggling syndicate and ensure strict legal action against the perpetrators.

Local people have warned that unless decisive action is taken against the organized network involved in illegal logging and timber trafficking, such violent incidents could become even more frequent and dangerous in the future.