Imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years for some acts of violating regulations on exploitation and protection of forests and forest products

Answer: According to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 232 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented by the 2017 Penal Code), a person who commits one of the following acts that does not fall under the category of forest destruction shall be subject to imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years or a fine from VND 50,000,000 to VND 300,000,000, or non-custodial reform for up to 3 years:

- Illegal exploitation of production forests is planted forests from 20 cubic meters (m3) to less than 40 cubic meters (m3) of wood of common plant species or from 15 cubic meters (m3) to less than 30 cubic meters (m3) of wood belonging to the List of endangered, precious, and rare forest plants and animals Group IIA;

- Illegal exploitation of natural production forests from 10 cubic meters (m3) to less than 20 cubic meters (m3) of wood of common plant species or from 07 cubic meters (m3) to less than 15 cubic meters (m3) of wood belonging to the List of endangered, precious, and rare forest plants and animals Group IIA;

- Illegal exploitation of protective forests is planted forests from 15 cubic meters (m3) to less than 30 cubic meters (m3) of wood of common plant species or from 10 cubic meters (m3) to less than 20 cubic meters (m3) of wood belonging to the List of endangered, precious, and rare forest plants and animals Group IIA;

- Illegal exploitation of natural protection forests from 07 cubic meters (m3) to less than 15 cubic meters (m3) of wood of common plant species or from 05 cubic meters (m3) to less than 10 cubic meters (m3) of wood belonging to the List of endangered, precious, and rare forest plants and animals Group IIA;

- Illegal exploitation of special-use forests is planted forests from 10 cubic meters (m3) to less than 20 cubic meters (m3) of wood of common plant species or from 05 cubic meters (m3) to less than 10 cubic meters (m3) of wood belonging to the List of endangered, precious, and rare forest plants and animals Group IIA;

- Illegal exploitation of special-use forests is natural forests from 03 cubic meters (m3) to less than 08 cubic meters (m3) of wood of common plant species or from 01 cubic meter (m3) to less than 03 cubic meters (m3) of wood belonging to the List of endangered, precious, and rare forest plants and animals Group IIA;

- Illegal exploitation of non-timber forest plants in the List of endangered, precious and rare forest plants and animals in Group IIA worth from VND 50,000,000 to under VND 100,000,000; common non-timber forest plants worth from VND 100,000,000 to under VND 200,000,000;

- Illegally exploiting timber in the List of endangered, precious and rare species prioritized for protection or the List of endangered, precious and rare forest plants and animals Group 1A from 01 cubic meter (m3) to less than 02 cubic meters (m3) in production forests, from 0.5 cubic meter (m3) to less than 1.5 cubic meter (m3) in protection forests or from 0.5 cubic meter (m3) to less than 01 cubic meter (m3) in special-use forests;

- Illegal exploitation of non-timber forest plants on the List of endangered, precious and rare species prioritized for protection or the List of endangered, precious and rare forest plants and animals Group IA worth from VND 30,000,000 to under VND 60,000,000;

- Illegally storing, transporting, processing or trading from 1.5 cubic meters (m3) to less than 03 cubic meters (m3) of wood belonging to the List of endangered, precious and rare species prioritized for protection or the List of endangered, precious and rare forest plants and animals Group IA or wood originating from foreign countries in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; from 10 cubic meters (m3) to less than 20 cubic meters (m3) of wood belonging to the List of endangered, precious and rare forest plants and animals Group IIA or wood originating from foreign countries in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; from 20 cubic meters (m3) to less than 40 cubic meters (m3) of wood of common forest plant species;

- Illegally storing, transporting, processing or trading in non-timber forest plants worth from VND 300,000,000 to under VND 600,000,000;

- Illegally exploiting, storing, transporting, processing or trading in timber or non-timber forest plants with a volume or value below the level specified in one of the points from point a to point l, clause 1, Article 232 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented by the 2017 Penal Code), but having been administratively sanctioned for one of the acts specified in Article 232 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented by the 2017 Penal Code), or having been convicted of this crime, not having had the criminal record cleared, and still committing the violation.