Uttar Pradesh police have successfully dismantled a teak tree theft ring, arresting three suspects and recovering stolen timber, following an investigation into agricultural land thefts.
Police have busted a case involving the theft of teak trees from agricultural fields and arrested three persons in this connection, an official said on Sunday.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sushil Kumar Singh said the accused have been identified as Krishna Mohan of Deoria district and Ghyanshyam Prajapati and Jitendra Paswan, both residents of Gorakhpur district.
The case came to light after Abdul Alim, from Ganserpar village in the Khalilabad Kotwali, lodged a complaint on March 19 alleging that three teak trees had been stolen from his field and that of his neighbour Samsudeen on the night of March 10-11, police said.
An investigation revealed that the accused cut the trees into pieces at night and transported them in a pickup van, they said.
"The stolen teak wood was later hidden near an ITI college in Deoria. Acting on inputs, a police team conducted a raid and recovered 12 logs of the stolen trees," Singh said.
Police have also seized a pickup van, a car, a saw and ropes allegedly used in the theft.
The ASP said the arrested persons have a criminal history, and one of them, Ghyanshyam Prajapati, was booked under the Gangster Act in Deoria in 2023.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway, police said.