MITHl: Rangers personnel on Wednesday raided seven illegally set up kilns in an area close the border with India and arrested seven suspects for chopping off many trees to produce coal.

Diplo SHO Azizullah Seenhrio told Dawn that the kilns were set up in villages located 42 kilometres off Diplo town. An FIR on the complaint of Rangers SI Abdul Sattar against Allah Dino, Mohammad Amin, Premo, Mohammad Ibrahim, Ghulam Mustafa, Cheeno and Mohammad Hussain.

The SHO said that police and Rangers would conduct more raids on such illegal workplaces in an extensive drive aimed at saving trees from felling by the `mafia` which was destroying forests and environment.

`The arrested suspects were involved in illegal trade of coal and firewood,` he said, adding that the mafia also dealt in precious plants selling all such commodities in the Karachi market on a large scale.

The suspects would be produced in a court on Thursday for obtaining their remand, said the police officer. The firewood and coal seized from them were being shifted to the Diplo police station, he said.