130 sawn timber seized after lorry driver fails to produce documents

KUCHING: Forest Department enforcement officers in Sri Aman confiscated 130 pieces of sawn timber from a lorry at Pasir Panas, Sri Aman Industrial Estate yesterday.

The seizure took place after the lorry driver failed to produce any documentation pertaining his cargo.

The case will be investigated under Section 96(1) of the Forest Ordinance 2015 which carries a fine of not less than RM25,000 and not exceeding RM150,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both, upon conviction.

A subsequent offences shall be punishable with a fine of not less than RM150,000 and not exceeding RM500,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or both, upon conviction.

The Forest department is also urging members of the public channel information of such activities via its hotline 1- 800- 88777.

On a related issue, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing welcomed the prompt action taken by enforcement agencies in Kapit in stopping overloaded lorries from transporting logs along a new tarsealed stretch of Jalan Entaroh, Kapit yesterday.

“We hope that the enforcement agencies will continue to monitor our roads to prevent such ‘ lori hantu’ (illegal lorries) from damaging our roads which is not meant for them,” said the Baleh assemblyman, who is also Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation.