Implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee in Official Dispatch No. 1760/UBND-NN, dated March 21, 2023, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development established a working group to handle the case mentioned in the newspaper. After working with the agencies and departments of Quynh Luu district, the People's Committee of Quynh Chau commune and the Management Board of Bac Nghe An Protective Forest (MBPFB), the working group specifically informed the developments of the case and the results of the initial investigation and verification as follows:
On February 28, 2023, the Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board discovered in sub-area 343B, plot 3, lot 1 a group of subjects digging, leveling, destroying acacia pine plantations, cutting and loading pine wood onto trucks. This area belongs to the production forest planning managed by the Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board, administrative boundary of Quynh Chau commune, Quynh Luu district.
The Northern Nghe An Management Board mobilized forces to prevent and make an initial inspection report. Through measurement, the area dug up, leveled, and cut down was 2.23 hectares; the volume of pine wood cut into pieces was 6.396m3.3(including 181 cuttings), of which 3,290m3Pine wood was loaded onto the truck with license plate 74C-108.11, 3,106m3Pine wood was scattered at the scene. The Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board made a record of the initial scene inspection against Mr. Le Tien Du (born in 1971) and Mr. Nguyen Chi Thanh (born in 1991), both residing in Quynh Tan commune, Quynh Luu district, for illegal logging, cutting down and transporting of forest products. At the same time, the evidence and the car with license plate 74C-108.11 were brought to the Len Ngoi Forest Protection Management Station for safekeeping.
On March 2, the Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board reported and handed over documents and evidence to the Quynh Luu - Hoang Mai Forest Protection Department for verification and handling according to legal regulations. At about 4:40 p.m. on the same day, the above-mentioned group continued to cut and destroy the remaining acacia trees in the pine and acacia forests that had been destroyed before. The Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board reported to the Forest Protection Department and mobilized forces to prevent, make a record of inspection, protect the scene, preserve evidence and vehicles including a Husqvarna 365 chainsaw, a truck with license plate 22C-033.97 and the acacia wood on the truck bed and at the scene. Through measurements on March 3, it was discovered that there were 45 cut stumps; 3,360m3Acacia wood scattered at the scene; about 5,174m3Acacia wood was loaded onto a car with license plate 22C-033.97.
At around 8:20 a.m. on March 6, a group of about 20-30 people carrying knives and machetes entered the location where the evidence was being kept at the scene, attacked and seriously injured comrade Nguyen Khac Hoan - a forest protection officer of the Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board and escaped the evidence. The Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board mobilized all forces to the scene to stop and take Nguyen Khac Hoan to the emergency room, but due to the distance, the above subjects took the car with license plate 22C-033.97 and the acacia wood on the car and escaped.
As for the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district, as soon as the incident occurred, they directed the functional forces to urgently intervene, focusing all resources to investigate, verify and handle the case. The police of Quynh Luu district presided over and coordinated with the Procuracy, the Forest Protection Department, the Land Registration Office, and the People's Committees of Quynh Chau and Quynh Tan communes to inspect and examine the scene, determine the location, area and volume of forest products destroyed in the area. Thereby, it was determined that the incident occurred at lot 1, compartment 3, sub-area 343B (according to the map of reviewing and adjusting the planning of 3 types of forests issued in Decision No. 48/2014/QD-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee), the administrative boundary of Quynh Chau commune, under the production forest planning. The area of destroyed forest is 23,396m22with a total volume of forest products of 14,930m3, of which 6,396m3pine wood (on car 3,290m)3, at the scene 3,106m3is being held by the District Forest Protection Department). 8,534m3Acacia wood (on car 5,174m)3, at the scene 3,360 m3is being detained by the district police).
The Investigation Police Agency determined that this was a case of deforestation and destruction of forest resources, with many subjects involved and the case had criminal signs of "intentionally causing injury" and "resisting people on duty". The Investigation Police Agency also agreed with the District Procuracy to put the case into the order and procedure for settlement according to Joint Circular No. 01/2017/TTLT-BCA-BQP-BTC-BNNPTNT-VKSNDTC on handling crime reports. During the process of settling the case, the group's acts of forest exploitation and destruction will continue to be investigated, verified and clarified.
On March 10, the Quynh Luu - Hoang Mai Forest Protection Department issued Document No. 42/CV-HKL requesting the Quynh Luu District Police to receive all documents, evidence, and means of violation for handling according to regulations.
According to Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Deputy Head of the Forest Protection Department, head of the working group established by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the working group determined that this was a complicated case of deforestation and forest destruction, with signs of crime, involving many subjects with reckless nature, challenging the law enforcement agencies. Therefore, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district has requested the Investigation Police Department of Quynh Luu district to coordinate with relevant agencies and departments to investigate, verify, consolidate records, establish a special project to strictly handle the above case, the right person, the right crime, in order to educate, prevent and deter in general.
At the same time, the Investigation Police Agency of Quynh Luu District Police is requested to focus on speeding up the investigation and verification of the case according to the procedure for handling crime reports as prescribed in Joint Circular No. 01/2017/TTLT-BCA-BQP-BTC-BNNPTNT-VKSNDTC on handling crime reports and recommending prosecution. In parallel with the investigation of acts of intentionally causing injury; resisting law enforcement officers, continue to verify signs of crime in acts of deforestation and forest destruction with a planned production forest area of 23,396m2.2, total volume of damaged forest products: 14,930m3; pine + acacia forest type; on forest land assigned to the Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board for management; location at lot 1, compartment 3, sub-area 343B (according to the map reviewing and adjusting the planning of 3 forest types issued in Decision No. 48/2014/QD-UBND); regarding cadastral records, belonging to land plot No. 24, map sheet No. 3, administrative boundary of Quynh Chau commune, Quynh Luu district (Forestry land allocation map according to Decree 163/1999/ND-CP of the Government).
In addition, it is recommended that the Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board and the Quynh Luu - Hoang Mai Forest Protection Department regularly coordinate and strengthen forest patrolling and inspection at the base, detect, prevent and promptly handle violations of forestry laws in the assigned management area; advise the District People's Committee to continue reviewing the planning of 3 types of forests in accordance with the actual land use situation in Quynh Luu district, clearly separating the types of forests owned by the State managed by the Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board, forests handed over by Jica projects; planted forests invested by people themselves, firmly grasp the subjects to educate and propagate strict implementation of regulations on forest exploitation stipulated in Circular No. 26/2022/TT-BNNPTNT dated December 30, 2022 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regulating the management and traceability of forest products.
