Smuggling of 5000 willow clefts foiled by Lakhnapur toll staff

Personnel manning the the excise and taxation toll post at Lakhanpur in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district have confirmed foiling the smuggling of 5000 willow clefts from Kashmir to Uttar Pradesh in fruit boxes. Willow clefts are used to make cricket bats.

"Our alert team on the duty found a truck moving in suspicious circumstances and we had also been tipped off by local residents. After the physical verification of truck, empty apple boxes found with nearly 5000 willow clefts," Deputy Excise Commissioner Rajesh Sharma told ANI.

"The wrong number given by the driver indicates that he was involved in wrong activities. That is why we are referring this car to the station house officer of Lakhanpur. They will investigate it further and the criminals should be booked," he added.

Sharma said, "The smugglers are trying their best to smuggle the willow in fruit boxes. Every day, more than 700 trucks are moving from Kashmir to the rest of country."

The driver of the truck has been arrested and is being interrogated by Lakhanpur police.