SIBU: Good partnerships have been formed between the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and other enforcement agencies, including the police in the government’s campaign against illegal logging.
This was disclosed in a SFC press statement yesterday clarifying that the police were the source of information leading to a successful raid against illegal loggers at Bekakong, Daro.
“The joint enforcement operation was carried out on 1 November with team members drawn from Sibu Regional Office of SFC and Marine Police personnel from Sarikei Police Station. The eight foreign perpetrators of the alleged illegal logging operation were caught red-handed with 736 pieces of short logs, one chainsaw and three bicycles that have been modified to transport the short logs,” said the SFC statement.
“The eight foreign suspects have been remanded at the Bintangor Police Station pending further investigation by the authorities concerned.
The logging operation at the site of the raid is believed to be illegal since no timber licence has been issued for extraction of timber at that location. Besides, none of the suspects had any work permit and the logs did not bear any official markings,” the statement added.
A police report on the raid had been made at the Tanjong Manis Police Station and the detained logs would be handed over to the Forest Department for further investigations.
