Men face massive fine after authorities uncover disturbing operation during routine traffic stop: 'The number of cases ... is appalling'
Five men were caught smuggling five truckloads of illegal logs in the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
According to the Sarawak Tribune, the Forest Department of Sarawak discovered the illegal logs during a routine raid in the Bintulu area on April 25. They found five trucks full of various species and sizes.
SFD director Datuk Hamden Mohammad said in a statement, "Four local men and one Indonesian were detained for inspection. … None of the drivers were able to produce valid documents of ownership for the logs."
It's estimated the haul was worth RM275,00 ($64,400 USD). The high value of timber has made illegal logging in Malaysia rampant. In 2022 alone, 90 cases of illegal logging were recorded, per Wiki Impact. Of those, 60 were in the Sarawak region.
According to Global Forest Watch, Malaysia has lost roughly 32% of its tree cover between 2000 and 2024. The country is at risk of losing another 16% of forest cover due to the government allowing timber and palm oil harvesting, per Wood Central.
Deforestation drastically accelerates changes to the climate. Forests act as carbon storehouses. When cut down, planet-heating carbon is released into the atmosphere. This increases temperatures and contributes to air pollution.
The five men will be charged in court under Section 96 of the Forests Ordinance 2015 for unlawful possession of logs. Policies like this ordinance are crucial to keeping the planet cool and clean.
With the government making concessions on environmental policies and authorities overlooking illegal logging, deforestation and the changing climate will worsen.
Gurmit Singh, the Technology and Development Malaysia chairman for the Centre for Environment, said, "The number of cases might be higher as not all are reported or identified. The main cause is corruption in the Forestry Department. As long as you allow that to continue, enforcers themselves turn away from these activities," per Wiki Impact.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman said, "The fact that the number of cases in Sarawak is high is appalling. This signals that the authorities are not doing their job because if they are monitoring and enforcing, then it would not go on."
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In the case of these five men, the authorities were on the ball.
Voicing support for environmental policies can safeguard these precious resources. From advocating for change to showing support for local initiatives, the public's influence on conserving the environment is powerful and essential.
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