KUANTAN: The Southeast Brigade of the General Operations Force (GOF), in collaboration with the Forestry Department, has seized timber and related goods worth over RM97mil following 32 raids on sawmills in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang between Feb 11 and May 20.
Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim said the first two phases of "Ops Sawmill", a targeted initiative under the broader "Ops Bersepadu Khazanah", involved raids on 18 premises, namely two in Terengganu and 16 in Kelantan.
These led to the arrest of 53 individuals and the seizure of timber and equipment worth RM66.5mil.
Phase three, he said, covered 14 raids on seven premises in Pahang, and four each in Terengganu and Kelantan, with 45 more arrests and RM30.84mil in goods confiscated.
He added that 18 Malaysians had been released on bail, while 27 foreign nationals remained in custody. Those detained included six Myanmar nationals, seven Bangladeshis, 12 Indonesians, and one each from Nepal and India.
Azmi said 11 offences were identified during the operations, with investigations conducted under several laws, including the Immigration Act 1959/63, National Forestry Act 1984, Wood-Based Industries Enactment 1985, and the Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Employee Amenities Act.
He noted that while some premises held valid operating licences, several had breached legal conditions.
"In one case, early intelligence suggested non-compliance, but by the time of the raid, the operator had renewed their licence and rectified the issues, so no action was taken," he said. - Bernama
