Malaysia: Illegal logging enforcement teams uncover timber “mass graves”

M. HAMZAH JAMALUDIN New Straits Times 18 May 15;

GERIK: An all-out war against illegal logging in Hulu Perak in the past few months has uncovered various tactics used by loggers, including the latest one where those involved have buried the precious timber to avoid detection.

During a recent joint operation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Forestry Department at Temenggor forest reserve here, the team discovered three spots where the stolen logs were stacked inside and covered under tonnes of earth.

It was obvious that the culprits had been in a hurry as the red earth was still unsettled while parts of the logs could be seen exposed on the slopes.

In their desperate move to hide the evidence, the loggers had also dumped tree branches and other debris down the slope, causing nearby streams to become clogged.

The MACC has started targetting illegal logging in the interior of the 148, 870-hectare productive forest reserve, after the anti-graft agency first detected false tagging and declaration documents found on illegal timber taken out from the area in February.

It was not an easy task as the MACC had to station its staff at the main "matau" (timber collection centre) near the bank of Temenggor lake, about 45-minute boat ride from the Pulau Banding jetty.

This New Straits Times journalist joined the latest operation and spent a night in a `kongsi` (wooden long house for timber workers) before the MACC and Forestry Department convoy located the first spot where the logs were buried.

The convoy of several pick-up trucks had to make almost an hour trip into the jungle before it finally located the first site on a hilly terrain.

The team suspected something amiss when they realised that the red earth covered a plain the size of a football pitch. But there were no clear signs that logs could be found in the area until the team members started to dig the earth using spades.

To their surprise, they found the first log buried about a metre underneath, after digging for about 20 minutes.

Since it was impossible to dig out all the logs, checks made on the slope had enabled them to estimate the stacked logs to be as high as a two-storey building.

After the first success, the team moved to another location, which also took them about an hour to reach. Their earlier experience had made it easier for them to locate the logs at the second site, although they were buried in a deeper pit.

It seemed like the team had struck a jack pot when they also located the third site, not far from the second one. Menteri Besar's Office integrity head Anuar Mohd Noh said it was the first time that the enforcement agency had discovered such a modus operandi used by loggers.

"The culprits may have panicked and took such a drastic action to conceal their illegal activities. Most likely, they are waiting for the operation to end before they will extricate the logs and send then to the main "matau"," said Anuar who is MACC Assistant Commissioner.

He said initial checks made on the buried logs showed that they comprised of high grade timber, such as "merbau" and "meranti bukit", and those from the lower grade group.

"We believe that about 400 tonnes of logs worth more than RM1 million were buried at the three locations and the culprits are waiting for the right time to dig them out and sell them," he said.

It is learnt that MACC and the Forestry Department will find ways to bring the logs out of the pits, to enable the forensics team to confirm the timber species and how long they had been buried.

The logs will be seized before they are sold through open bidding. Initial investigations have also revealed that the latest discovery could have been related to earlier success, when the team found 84 trees that were fell outside the permitted 30ha compartment.

The finding had prompted the Forestry Department to initiate a major transfer with 20 of Hulu Perak staff were relocated.

Anuar said MACC would also investigate whether there was an element of corruption involved since the productive forest reserve, where controlled logging activities are allowed, should be monitored closely by the Forestry staff.

"We will leave no stone unturned, that is for sure. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir himself is very concern about illegal logging as it will affect the environment apart from reducing the state's earnings," he said.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/node/84630