Forest Department seized illegal logs and planks worth Rs 6 lakh in the raids on four saw mills in Dhamtari Forest Division. Forest Department is conducting incessant action on illegal chopping and transportation of woods. To this end, a team of Forest Department raided four saw mills of Dhamtari after receiving a tip-off during the night patrol on December 30. The Forest team confiscated 493 pieces of Arjun wood logs, 6,717 of Arjun wood planks. The cost of confiscated wood is estimated to be around Rs 6 lakh. On the direction of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Rakesh Chaturvedi and on the guidance of Chief Conservator of Forest J R Nayak, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dhamtari led a team to raid saw mills at village Reewagahan, Kosmarra and Kachna. At village Reewagahan of Forest Range Dhamtari, officials raided the saw mill of Chetanram Sahu and confiscated 1278 pieces of Arjun wood planks. In the Tehsil Kurud, officials raided a saw mill owned by one Mahesh Kumar Sahu at village Kosmarra and confiscated 359 pieces of Arjun logs and 1024 Arjun planks and during the raid at Saw Mill of Vedprakash Sahu, team seized 20 pieces of Arjun logs and 50 pieces of Arjun planks. Besides, in the fourth raid on a saw mill owned by a couple Puja Shukla and Anil Shukla under Kurud Tehsil, team seized 76 pieces of Arjun logs and 4,365 pieces of Arjun planks.