KUALA TERENGGANU: The General Operations Force (GOF) seized timber and processing equipment worth RM640,510 and arrested a 20-year-old man during a raid on a sawmill in Kuala Berang here Wednesday (Aug 12).
GOF Southeast Brigade commander Senior Asst Comm Ahmad Radzi Hussain (pic) said the suspect, a Setiu native, was arrested during Ops Khazanah at a sawmill on Jalan Sungai Tong near Gerdong at about 1pm.
He said the raid, conducted with the assistance of the Hulu Terengganu District Forestry Office, was carried out based on intelligence and uncovered various types of timber and equipment, including heavy machinery, a sharpening machine, a lorry, round logs and pole logs, which were seized for further investigation under Section 68 of the National Forestry Act 1984 (Act 313).
"Further investigations found that the sawmill owner, known as Sekati and believed to reside in Kampung Gerdong near Kuala Berang, was operating the premises without complying with licence conditions and regulations set by the relevant authorities," he said in a statement Wednesday.
Ahmad Radzi said timber purchases were also believed to have been conducted through middlemen and paid for in cash to conceal links to the sawmill owner and evade detection and financial checks by the authorities.
"We will continue to intensify inspections and monitoring from time to time to ensure there is no misuse of permits, illegal logging activities or encroachment on forest reserve resources, particularly in Terengganu," he said. - Bernama
