PARANG, Maguindanao — For the second time this week, police authorities have seized illegally cut forest products after having been tipped off by locals about the transport of hot logs.
Chief Insp. Erwin Tabora, Parang town police chief, said five cargo trucks loaded with illegally cut forest products from the towns of Barira, Buldon and Matanog, were flagged down at around 3 a.m. Saturday at a checkpoint here.
Tabora identified those arrested as Alimudin Zainal, 45, cargo truck owner, and his drivers Ali Macauyag,40, Baginda Omar, 30, Yasser Ramalan, 35, Morsin Oting, 38, and Ali Capal,40, all residents of Matanog.
The seized cargo trucks and forest products are now in the custody of police in Barangay Poblacion while the suspects who failed to produce documents for the transport of the illegal logs are detained at the police lock-up cell.
Late last month, the Parang PNP also confiscated forest products amounting to PhP7 million in a police checkpoint. Owners of the seized high quality lumber could not produce legal documents.
Tabora lauded local residents of Matanog and Parang,
Maguindanao for actively supporting the police in implementing forest laws with the help of personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Tabora said police authorities are awaiting court decision where to bring the confiscated forest products. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
