A criminal gang in India has adopted an unorthodox, yet effective, method to avoid arrest: having women strip naked to distract police.

The group is a timber mafia, dedicated to illegally chopping down trees in an eastern India forest in the Jharkhand state. The women are paid to strip in front of officers who are too embarrased, or too distracted, to hunt the criminals down, allowing more than enough time for escape.

B.K. Singh, a Jharkhand forest official said, "it is proving tough to deal with these women. It has almost become a regular practice for them to strip."

India's forests have suffered greatly at the hands of illegal cutting. Only 21 percent of India is covered by forests; a number the federal government cites should be at 33 percent.

Anyone caught chopping down a tree faces up to a year in prison, a fine of $115, or both.