Sentenced to prison for entering the forest to cut sa mu wood

(Baonghean.vn) - When someone came to ask about buying wood, a group of local youths carried chainsaws into the forest to find sa mu wood to cut down and bring back to sell.

On the morning of September 26, the People's Court of Ky Son district tried a case of violating regulations on forest exploitation and protection.

And Ba Tria at the trial. Photo: Lu Phu

According to the content of the case, defendant Va Ba Tria, residing in Nam Can village, Nam Can commune, Ky Son district, was prosecuted by the Investigation Police Agency, Ky Son District Police for the crime of "Violating regulations on forest exploitation and protection".

In January 2017, a subject came to Va Ba Tinh's house and Va Ba Re's house, Luu Son village (same Nam Can commune) to discuss buying and selling wood. Nga asked Tinh and Re to go into the forest to cut wood to sell to her. To carry out Nga's request, Tinh invited Va Ba Tria, a person from the same village, to join.

About two days later, Tinh, Re, and Tria went into the forest together to find samu wood to cut down. When they arrived at Pha Mo stream area, sub-area 500A under the Ky Son Protective Forest Management Board, they discovered a samu tree with a diameter of about 85cm and a length of about 20m. Here, they used a chainsaw to cut it down, then sawed it into many wooden boards of different sizes and lengths, and used buffaloes to drag it back.

By the evening of January 25, 2017, the subjects dragged the newly cut wood to the area in front of the People's Committee gate of Nam Can commune to sell for 6.3 million VND. Separately, the wages for Va Ba Tria and his co-workers were paid by Tinhh 2.2 million VND.

Subject and Ba Tria in the dock. Photo: Lu Phu

By January 30, through forest patrol and inspection, the Ky Son interdisciplinary team discovered 6 illegally cut down sa mu trees, numbered in order: 01, 02, 03, 05, 06, 07. Based on coordinates, volume and type of wood, the interdisciplinary team determined that the sa mu tree cut down by Tenh, Re, and Tria was the tree marked with number 07.

During the investigation, the two suspects Va Ba Tinh and Va Ba Re fled their residence. The police investigation agency also issued a wanted notice. As for Va Ba Tria, due to his low educational level, limited understanding and enticement, the jury sentenced him to 7 months in prison but suspended the sentence.

Lu Phu