**BSF Foils Sandalwood Smuggling Attempt at Reoti Shooting Range, Indore**
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Border Security Force (BSF) successfully thwarted sandalwood smuggling attempts at its Reoti Shooting Range— the very site where Union Home Minister Amit Shah had participated in a major plantation drive last year. During that drive, nearly 1.2 million saplings were planted to enhance the green cover.
Spread across 112 acres and endowed with dense forest cover, the Reoti Shooting Range had unfortunately become a target for sandalwood thieves who were gradually cutting and stealing precious trees.
BSF officials identified the accused as Vikram, son of Girdharilal, a resident of Khoriya Padma village in Mahidpur tehsil, Ujjain district. He was caught red-handed carrying tools such as an axe, digger, and crowbar, along with two sandalwood logs. Upon interrogation, Vikram admitted to having committed sandalwood theft two to three times earlier. He has been handed over to the Banganga police for further investigation.
“The vastness of the premises made catching the culprits a challenging task,” said BSF officials. Acting on specific intelligence, the BSF devised a special strategy and launched a mission-style operation. For two consecutive nights, jawans conducted ambush patrols in the dense forest under complete darkness. Their perseverance paid off when the thief was apprehended.
IG Alok Kumar Singh, CSWT BSF Indore, praised the team’s efforts, stating, “The BSF team has done a commendable job in nabbing the miscreants. The local police are also working hard to uncover the entire network involved in these illegal activities.”
Meanwhile, both BSF and the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) remain committed to further developing the Reoti Range by planting special species, aimed at creating an even denser forest cover to protect this valuable natural asset.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/indore-news-sandalwood-thieves-target-reoti-range-one-arrested-after-special-ops