KOTA BARU: The General Operations Force (GOF) South-East Brigade has seized timber, heavy machinery and other equipment worth about RM1.1mil at an illegal factory in Pasir Mas.
The seizure included 50,000 pieces of sawn timber of assorted sizes.
Brigade commander Senior Asst Comm Ahmad Radzi Hussain said other items seized in the raid at Kampung Lubok Tapah at 3.30pm on Monday (May 25) included machine saws, a forklift, and nyatoh and kulim hardwood.
The operation was carried out by the Strike Force of Company B, 7th Battalion GOF Kuantan, with assistance from the Kota Baru Forestry Department, he added.
"The operation was conducted following intelligence gathered on unlicensed timber-processing activities at the premises," he said in a statement on Tuesday (May 26).
"Six men, including one foreign national, all aged between 24 and 65, were arrested to assist investigations," he said, adding that one of the suspects claimed to be the owner of the facility, while the other five were workers.
"Inspections found that the premises did not have an operating licence or permits for the use of wood-processing machinery from the Forestry Department," he said.
SAC Ahmad Radzi said preliminary investigations found that the illegal factory had been operating for the past six months, with the processed timber sent to a furniture factory in Pasir Mas for the local market.
"The case is being investigated under Section 68(1) of the National Forestry Act 1984, and all the suspects as well as seized items have been handed over to the Kelantan Forestry Department for further action," he said. – Bernama
