KUCHING: Ten individuals were detained for encroaching into Maludam National Park between July 24 and 28.
They were arrested during a joint patrol “Operasi Bersepadu Khazanah” conducte by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
On July 25, around 10am, the team arrested eight suspects red-handed with seven chainsaws and 347 pieces of different sizes and species of logs.
Eight bicycles and nine motorbikes that were used to transport logs were also seized, SFC said in its Facebook Page today (July 30).
Later, they also caught another two suspects in possession of chainsaws, two bicycles and motorbikes.
SFC said while scouring the areas surrounding the national park, the enforcement team found another 45 logs.
Outside the national park, SFC said the team detained a lorry which carried 257 logs.
In a separate raid carried out on an oil palm plantation, the raiding team confiscated 33 logs, a lorry, two motorbikes, band saw machine, band saw, genset, and a trolley.
All the cases were later handed over to the Forest Department for investigation.
SFC chief executive officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton, who is also the controller of national parks and nature reserves, said a total of five police reports had been made and that the 10 suspects were currently on police bail.
They would be further investigated under the National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance, 1998.
“We will not tolerate any trespassing, hunting and encroachment into the totally protected areas and those caught will be brought to justice,” he added.
Members of the public with information on similar illegal activities are urged to contact the Forest Department or SFC hotlines at 016-8565564/019-8859996 (Kuching), 019-8883561 (Sibu), 019-8223449/019-8332737 (Bintulu) and 019-8290994/018-9799778 (Miri).
