SRINAGAR: Sopore police has busted a gang of forest smugglers by arresting 19 notorious accused persons involved in various forest theft cases of Police Station Sopore. These arrested smugglers were identified as Bilal Ahmad Lone, Ali Mohammad Lone, Mohammad Afzal Lone, Tariq Ahmad Rather, Riyaz Ahmad Lone, Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, Abdul Gaffar Lone, Habib-ul-lah Sheikh, Ashiq Hussain Lone, Abdul Rashid Lone, Ashaq Ahmad Lone, Manzoor Ahmad Lone, Fayaz Ahmad Lone, Firdous Ahmad Lone, Khursheed Ahmad Lone, Sajad Ahmad Lone, Bashir Ahmad, Bashir Ahmad Lone, Shazad Ahmad Lone, all residents of Rajpora Sopore, and were evading their arrests since long.
With the arrest of these smugglers as many as 12 forest theft cases will be challaned before the Court of law. The general public has hailed this police action and urged that strict action should be taken against the jungle smugglers so that no loss is inflicted to the forests (green gold) of the district.