Illegal timber "speeds"... with motorbikes

(Baonghean) -Since the beginning of the year, in Thanh Huong, Thanh Thuy, Hanh Lam (Thanh Chuong) and Phuc Son (Anh Son) communes, the situation of illegal loggers using motorbikes to drag timber into the forest gates to illegally transport timber has tended to increase sharply, although the authorities have actively prevented it...

It is known that the subjects who specialize in using motorbikes to transport illegal timber are all farmers with muddy hands and feet hired by "brokers" to go into the forest to transport timber. Mr. Le Dinh Son - an officer of the Mobile Forest Ranger and Fire Prevention Team No. II said: In Veu village, Phuc Son commune (Anh Son), taking advantage of the small-scale road passing through, loggers have organized illegal exploitation in the forest areas managed by the Youth Volunteer Team 2, Pu Mat National Park, Anh Son Forestry Company... Illegal timber is transported downstream to sell to subjects in Do Luong, Nghi Loc, Vinh City... Loggers often use many types of vehicles to transport timber such as rafts on the Giang River, cars, tire ox carts, and especially have the "initiative" to "create" a type of motorbike to pull timber. This type of vehicle is attached to the back of a vehicle similar to a "three-wheeled vehicle", very mobile, can go deep into the forest to transport timber. At around 8pm, the loggers and their motorbikes hit the road, each time they transport about 1m3 of various types of wood. Following behind are 2 motorbikes carrying 4 people to push the cart uphill. The carts carrying the bulky wood are driven recklessly to avoid the forest rangers, which can easily cause traffic accidents. In communes along Ho Chi Minh road such as Thanh Huong, Thanh Thuy, Hanh Lam, the loggers leave the forest and turn onto side roads to gather wood in residential areas, waiting for the opportunity to transport it to other places.

To deal with the situation of illegal loggers using homemade tractors to transport timber illegally, the Mobile Forest Ranger Team and PCCCR Team No. 2 regularly organize patrols and controls. However, because loggers often travel in groups and carry weapons, they fiercely resist when necessary. Mr. Son continued: "The tricks of the loggers are increasingly sophisticated and cunning. They pretend to be people waiting to catch a bus, "sticking" close to the gate of the Mobile Forest Ranger Team No. II to grasp every movement. When the forest rangers just leave the gate, they immediately call their accomplices. To distract the loggers, the rangers often have to climb over the fence, or swim across the canal to patrol. The group often goes on surprise patrols or follows reports from the people. Sometimes they have to lie in ambush all night in the rain and forest to catch the subjects. Since the beginning of the year, the team has caught over 30 homemade motorbikes, confiscating dozens of cubic meters of wood of all kinds. In the Veu village area, because there is only one road, the forest rangers have basically stopped the problem of motorbikes transporting wood. For Thanh Huong, Hanh Lam, Thanh Thuy communes..., the activities of the loggers are more complicated because there are too many small-scale roads.

To eliminate the illegal transportation of timber by motorbike, the Mobile Forest Ranger Team and PCCCR Team No. II are making efforts to strengthen reconnaissance, monitor the area, and collect information at points where illegal forest products are often gathered and stored. Encourage people to report illegal loggers. In particular, strengthen coordination with Border Guard Station 557, Pu Mat Forest Protection Station, Veu Village Management Board... In addition, the Team needs more active support from local authorities in terms of forces and means, to improve the effectiveness of detecting and preventing illegal loggers' activities.

Van Truong