Con Cuong: Openly transporting illegal timber

(Baonghean) -During a business trip to Bach Son village, Cam Lam commune (Con Cuong), when crossing Chau Khe suspension bridge connecting Chau Khe and Cam Lam communes, we witnessed on Lam river, rafts of wood being moved downstream by traders to the gathering point.

On the afternoon of November 6, after entering Bach Son village, Cam Lam commune - Con Cuong district to find information to write an article, when we returned to town, when passing Chau Khe suspension bridge connecting Chau Khe commune and Cam Lam commune, we saw groups of people shouting to each other to push wooden rafts down Lam river to the gathering point.

This group of people, despite the cold and rainy weather, waded through the river and pushed dozens of logs to the shore. On the edge of the river, there was a boat waiting to load the logs onto the boat and continue downstream. There were 8 people in total. When we raised our cameras to record, we were threatened by this group of people to be beaten.

Openly transporting illegal timber rafts
(Photo taken on the afternoon of November 6, 2011, at the Chau Khe - Con Cuong suspension bridge area)

Talking to us, comrade Nguyen Huu Duong, deputy head of the Mobile Forest Ranger Team, in charge of Mobile Forest Ranger Team No. 2 Khe Choang, stationed in Con Cuong district, said: "Because of the small force, it is difficult for us to check and arrest all illegal timber transportation cases. The illegal timber transportation cases are mainly caught due to information from the masses. Their tricks are increasingly sophisticated. One time, the Team received information from the masses about a 4-seat car transporting illegal timber, the Team immediately deployed forces to block it. When the car passed, we asked to check it, but after searching for a long time without finding it, knowing that the source of information was reliable, the team was determined to find it. When asking the driver to start the engine to check around the seats, we suddenly touched a red button. Suddenly, the four seats below with hydraulic levers were slowly lifted up, revealing the logs hidden underneath."
However, when we mentioned the issue of illegal timber being openly transported on the Lam River through the area, comrade Duong just found out.

It is the rainy season, so it is easy for traders to take advantage of the situation to transport illegal timber downstream. Therefore, the public needs to be vigilant and immediately report any discovery to the authorities for timely handling and prevention of illegal logging and timber transportation.

Pham Hoa