Five held, RM2.32mil illegal timber and machinery seized in raid

 

Five men were arrested after an illegal timber processing operation was uncovered at a factory in Sungai Embak here yesterday, leading to the seizure of machinery, equipment and timber worth RM2.32 million. - Pic courtesy of GOF

KUALA KRAI: Five men were arrested after an illegal timber processing operation was uncovered at a factory in Sungai Embak here yesterday, leading to the seizure of machinery, equipment and timber worth RM2.32 million.

General Operations Force Southeast Brigade commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the suspects, aged between 31 and 62, were detained during a raid by its Eighth Battalion.

He said the 3pm raid, conducted following public information, was assisted by the Machang District Forestry Office.

"Upon arrival at the factory, our team found a man operating a heavy Caterpillar machine to load timber onto a mototrailer, while four others were cutting timber using bandsaw machines.

"Checks at the premises uncovered 16,440 processed timber logs of various sizes and species, as well as 462 round logs, believed to be untaxed," he said.

Radzi said forestry officers who arrived at the scene confirmed that the timber was believed to be untaxed.

He said authorities seized a Caterpillar heavy machine, a mototrailer, two bandsaw machines, two cross-cut machines, a saw blade sharpening machine and 45 saw blades.

"The total value of the seized items is estimated at RM2.32 million.

"The five suspects and all seized items were handed over to the Machang District Forestry office for further action under Section 84 of the National Forestry Act 1984 (Act 313)," he said.

He said preliminary investigations found that one of the suspects, a 38-year-old man who claimed to be the factory owner, had started operating the premises in April.

"The man claimed that the premises were rented from a local man at RM4,000 a month.

"The suspect also claimed that the timber processed at the factory was supplied by residents.

"The timber was believed to have been untaxed, raising suspicion that the supply may have been sourced illegally," he said.

He said three of the workers were hired by the owner to process timber at a rate of RM40 per tonne, while another suspect was employed as a mototrailer driver for RM1,500 a month.

Ahmad Radzi said the processed timber was distributed to several wooden pallet processing factories in Kelantan as raw material for producing pallets and other wood-based products. - NST