(Baonghean.vn)- At the Investigation Police Agency of Que Phong District Police, Nghe An Newspaper reporters accessed information about the case of illegal loggers cutting down 3 hundred-year-old Sa mu trees in compartment 11, Sub-area 59 - a rich primeval forest area with strict protection regulations - of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve. 5 illegal loggers cut down 3 Sa mu trees including: Lu Van Duong (born in 1976), Vi Van Hoai (born in 1979), Vi Van Binh (born in 1994), Luong Van Tam (born in 1975) all residing in Muong Phu village, Thong Thu commune, Cao Minh Quyet (born in 1986) residing in Muong Ham village, Chau Cuong commune, Quy Hop.
Below are the loggers who participated in cutting down Samu:
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| Subject Cao Minh Quyet. |
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| Subject Vi Van Binh. |
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| Subject Lu Van Duong. |
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| Subject Vi Van Hoai. |
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| Subject Luong Van Tam. |
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| Talking to reporters, Cao Minh Quyet said that he lives in Muong Ham commune, Chau Cuong commune, Quy Hop, and has a fiancee in Muong Phu village, Thong Thu commune. Because he has no job, when Vi Van Hoai and Luong Van Tam (the two uncles of his future wife and also the two ringleaders) invited him to illegally exploit Sa mu trees in the Pu Hoat primeval forest, he followed. |
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| Although the subjects involved all affirmed that Vi Van Hoai and Luong Van Tam were the leaders and organizers of the illegal exploitation of Sa mu trees, Vi Van Hoai continuously denied it, claiming that Luong Van Tam was the leader. |
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| Luong Van Tam denied the words of his accomplices and said that they all had equal responsibility in organizing, purchasing tools and illegally exploiting Sa mu trees. At the same time, he confessed that he had connections with Mong people (Laos) to carry out the acts of exploiting and consuming illegally exploited Sa mu wood. |
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| Tools used to illegally exploit Sa mu wood by 5 illegal loggers were seized by authorities at the exploitation scene. |
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| In which, motorcycle engines have large capacity... |
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| ...and chain winch for wood winch. |
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| As for this chainsaw blade that is up to 1.6m long, according to the investigation officer of Que Phong District Police, the largest chainsaw has a blade length of 0.8 - 1.2m, but to cut the large Sa mu roots that require dozens of people to hug, to split the tree trunk into large panels, the illegal loggers welded together chainsaw blades up to 1.6m long. In the photo: Investigation officer of Que Phong District Police points out the welded edges of the chainsaw blade. |
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| According to Lieutenant Colonel Dang Van Hieu, Deputy Head of the Investigation Police Department of Que Phong District Police, the area of Sa Mu forest illegally exploited by loggers is only 1020m from the road in neighboring Laos. After exploitation, the only way for loggers to sell the wood is to use engines and winches to cross the border to sell it. According to Decree 32, Sa Mu trees are on the list of rare animals and plants; the subjects illegally exploited a large quantity, not counting other trees that were cut down by them, the Sa Mu wood alone is estimated at about 230m3, so the investigation agency determined that their actions violated Clause 2, Article 175 of the Penal Code, which is especially serious. "We are expanding the investigation...." - Lieutenant Colonel Dang Van Hieu said. |
Nhat Lan - Viet Long
