SFC compliance officers inspecting the logs.
KUCHING: Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) compliance officers from Sibu and Kapit foiled an attempt to illegally smuggle felled belian and tapang logs when they uncovered and detained 229 logs at the riverbank of Nanga Seputin in Kapit.
In a press statement yesterday, SFC said the logs could have been illegally procured as the location was neither a timber license area nor a registered log pond.
The logs, estimated to be approximately 500 cubic metres and worth RM400,000, are believed to have been awaiting transport.
The tapang tree is a rare and important nesting tree for honey bees and is a protected species in Sarawak under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998, while belian – also known as Borneo’s iron wood – is much sought after for its durability and aesthetics.