KUCHING: Public tip-offs are paying dividends in the state’s war on illegal logging as an enforcement team from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) raided a charcoal kiln operator located at Jalan Baru in Telaga Air yesterday.
According to a press statement issued by the CEO’s office of SFC, more than 1,000 pieces of mangrove poles, for which royalty had allegedly not been paid, were subsequently seized after receiving a tip-off.
In addition to the mangrove poles estimated to exceed 10 tonnes in volume, also seized were two units of wooden ‘perahu’, two chainsaws and two outboard engines believed to be used in the illegal extraction of the mangrove poles.
“Our enforcement team also recorded statements from the supervisor of the charcoal kiln (a local) as well as two foreign workers suspected to be involved with the illegal extraction of bakau logs for use as firewood at the kiln,” said a spokesperson in the statement.
The seized items and recorded statements have been handed over to Forest Department for further investigation.
The public can support the wildlife protection and conservation efforts of Sarawak Forestry Corp by reporting any suspicious illegal activities concerning wildlife trade and illegal logging in their areas.
Sarawak Forestry can be reached in the different regions via the following hotlines: Kuching 019-8859996, Miri 019-8290994, Bintulu 019-8266096 and Sibu 019-8290992.