The logs that were seized.
KUCHING (Apr 27): An enforcement team from Sarawak Forest Department Sibu Regional Forest Office has successfully detected and seized a total of 226 illegal logs of various sizes and species with an estimated royalty value of RM22,000 hidden and buried in the ground at three different locations in Sg. Lipus, Kanowit.
The department in a statement said the attempt by the illegal loggers who tried to hide the illegal logs under the ground was unsuccessful.
It also said the Sarawak Forest Department’s enforcement team managed to sniff out the tactic as a result of intelligence gathering and continuous monitoring as well as early detection using various state -of -the -art technological equipment.
“After identifying the location, enforcement personnel from the Sibu Regional Forest Office raided the area. They used excavators to dig and re-extract all the illegal logs,” it said.
It added that further inspection found that all the logs did not have any proof that the royalty had been paid for.
“Accordingly, this case will be investigated under Section 96 (I), The Forests Ordinance 2015 (Chapter 71). If convicted, the offender will either be fined not less than RM25,000 to RM150,000 or jail sentence not more than five years or both.
“In addition, if the review finds that the offender committed repeat offense, the offender will be fined between RM150,000 to RM500,000 or jail term not more than 10 years or both,” it said.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Forest Director Datu Hamden Mohamad in the same statement also called on the public or to collude with any individual or company identified as carrying out illegal logging activities.
“Instead, they need to channel the information to any nearby Regional Forest Office if they find any suspicious tree felling activities in their area,” he added.
The post Forest Dept seizes 226 illegal logs in Kanowit appeared first on Borneo Post Online.