Exposing the illegal loggers ring led by Ha 'den' from Nghe An

After a day of investigation, about 20 illegal loggers were caught red-handed. The police identified Le Hong Ha (aka Ha "den", 48 years old, from Nghe An) as the leader of the daring illegal logger gang.

On the morning of July 9, the working group of the Environmental Crime Prevention Police Department (C49B) and the Mobile Police Command (K20) of the Ministry of Public Security, said they were coordinating with police from many provinces to clarify the operation of a group of illegal loggers who have been operating for about two years in Bao Lam district (Lam Dong province).

The Ministry of Public Security's working group is handing over the illegal loggers and evidence to the authorities of Lam Dong province - Photo: SON BINH

Colonel Vo Van Dong, Deputy Director of the Environmental Crime Prevention Police Department (C49B) of the Ministry of Public Security, said that C49B has directed detectives to launch a simultaneous operation, discovering a criminal gang that has been illegally logging for many years in Bao Lam district (Lam Dong province).

The group of illegal loggers took advantage of the rugged terrain, far from residential areas and lax management by authorities to organize a professional deforestation ring. They entered sub-zone 390, belonging to Loc Bac Forestry Enterprise (Bao Lam District) to destroy the forest around Dong Nai 5 Hydropower Plant.

In the early morning of July 8, C49B caught about 20 illegal loggers in the act. The illegal loggers admitted their violations and said they were working for a man named Ha “den”.

The longest time a logger works in a group is about 2 years, the shortest is 2-6 months. Skilled workers who directly cut down forests and sawed wood are paid 10-15 million VND/month. As for those who carry and transport illegal wood, they earn 6-10 million VND/month.

The loggers confessed that the amount of wood they illegally exploited from Ha "den" was dispersed and transported to Bu Dang district (Binh Phuoc province) for consumption.

The working group coordinated with Binh Phuoc Provincial Police to conduct an administrative inspection of a timber purchasing facility in Bu Dang District.

Police inspect a facility suspected of illegally purchasing timber in Bao Loc City, Lam Dong Province - Photo: SON BINH

Initially, 40 cubic meters of forest wood without related documents were temporarily seized, believed to have been purchased from “Ha” Den and related subjects. At the same time, this facility also had 60 cubic meters of wood with documents, however, the suspicion of fake documents is being clarified.

At the same time, continue to check wood purchasing companies in Bao Loc City (Lam Dong Province) that bought illegal wood from Ha "den"...

According to TTO