Bhatkal: Forest officials on Thursday while patrolling the forest area near Uttarakoppa in Bhatkal, confiscated a vehicle that was illegally transporting teak wood from one place to another. On observing the officials, the accused managed to escape from the spot leaving behind the vehicle.

Sources said that between Wednesday and Thursday night at around 1 AM, the forest officers of the Bhatkal sector of the Honnavar Division of the Forest Department were patrolling at Kaikani near Uttarkoppa road in Bhatkal taluk, when they saw some people chopping teak wood and loading on the vehicle. As forest officials tried to stop them, the accused left the vehicle and fled the scene. About 60,000 worth of teak wood has been confiscated, officials said, and their vehicle have been seized by the Forest Department.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of senior officers including Deputy Forest Conservator Ganapathi Naik, his assistant Sudarshan, Swetha R Devadiga, Jagdish Naik and Shrikant S Pawar  The search for the accused is underway.