India, Feb. 14 -- Organised timber mafias are relentlessly destroying Assam's ancient forests through illegal logging, cross-border smuggling, and violent intimidation. Recent arrests in western Assam have exposed the scale, brutality, and deep-rooted networks behind the crime.

Operating across reserved forests, riverine chars, and border zones, these syndicates target high-value species such as sal, khair, and holong. They often operate under the shadow of alleged official collusion.

The menace resurfaced sharply this week when police arrested Fazal Mandal and Saiful Islam Mandal in Tamarhat under Dhubri district during an intelligence-based operation. The duo allegedly led a timber smuggling racket along the Dhubri-Kokrajhar corridor...