Mahogany Sting Targets Suspected Illegal Loggers

A viral video raised troubling questions about possible misconduct inside the Forest Department, but Forestry Minister Orlando Habet says the footage does not tell the full story. The video shows forestry officers entering a property and handling mahogany lumber linked to an illegal logging investigation in the Cayo District. Habet says the officers acted under a warrant, seized the lumber and later transported it as part of a controlled law enforcement operation. According to the minister, the strategy was designed to draw out whoever would come forward to claim the suspected illegal timber and help authorities identify those behind the logging operation.

 

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“Recall that we have a compliance unit, and the compliance unit has to be out there. But many times when the compliance unit gets out there is because somebody has called, they’ve received some information. It might be that if the place is close enough, and if it is during the day that they can deploy right away. Sometimes it happens at night, they can’t go at night, but they might have to go in the morning. Additionally, they have to try to see if they can get the escort of police officers. In this case, they got a call they went out there and the police department sent out the MIU unit along with them. They had a warrant they had to cut the lock to go in to look at some of the equipment that was within that property. And that was because the day before when they went in the evening they saw the tractor, they saw a vehicle, they saw lumber, but they couldn’t take it out. It was night. So when they went back the next day, it was gone. So they got the warrant, they got the police, and they went out there, and they got to get into the property. When they got some of the lumber, because not all the lumber was taken out, they decided to set up something so that they wanted to see who would claim the lumber. So by escorting the lumber supposedly to, as was told to the officer, to see if they can sell the lumber and somebody will follow them, and that is exactly what happened. As soon as they arrived close to where they were going to s- to supposedly sell the lumber, then the the, the illegal logger came up and made the claim that is his lumber, and they were taken to court, and I think they are being charged.”

 

Habet said authorities had long received reports alleging that the two men charged in the case were involved in illegal logging, but lacked the evidence needed to prosecute them.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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