KOTA KINABALU: An illegal timber-gathering port was busted in Sook, Sabah, with timber and machinery worth tens of millions of ringgit, seized.
A public tip-off on Tuesday (March 17) led to an integrated operation dubbed Ops Sawmill involving the police’s General Operations Force (GOF) and the Sook division of the Forest Department.
The GOF, on its Facebook, said cut timber was discovered in the operations area without clear serial numbers, forestry department marks and property hammer marks, which denote ownership of the timber.
Heavy machinery and vehicles believed to have been used to illegally collect the seized timber were also confiscated, adding that the total seizure value is about tens of millions in ringgit.
A local man who was stationed there was also nabbed to facilitate investigations.
The GOF will consistently conduct raids, monitoring and enforcement to stop illegal timber activities in Sabah, the statement read.
“This is to ensure the sustainability of our forest resources and so that rules that have been set are followed and respected,” it added.
