Forest Dept foils RM275,000 illegal logs smuggling in Bintulu, five detained
The lorries loaded with illegal logs seized by SFD during the raid.
KUCHING (April 30): The Sarawak Forest Department (SFD) foiled an attempt by five men to smuggle illegal logs using tipper lorries in the Kemena Industrial Estate area of Bintulu last Friday (April 25).
SFD director Datu Hamden Mohammad said the operation was carried out around 8.20pm during routine patrols by enforcement officers.
'There were five lorries found loaded with illegal logs of various species and sizes. Four local men and one Indonesian were detained,' he said in a statement.
Checks revealed that the lorry drivers were unable to produce valid timber ownership documents issued by the department.
All five lorries and their timber cargo — estimated to be worth RM275,000 — were seized and taken to the Bintulu Regional Forest Office for further investigation.
The suspects would be charged under Section 96 of the Forests Ordinance, 2015 (Cap 71) for unlawful possession of forest produce.
Hamden reaffirmed the department's commitment to combating illegal logging and timber smuggling across Sarawak. Bintulu illegal logs Sarawak Forest Department smuggle
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Chinese national jailed five years for fatal crash involving Sabah state courts director
SIBU: A Chinese national who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving resulting in the death of Sabah State Courts director Marutin Pagan, was today sentenced to five years' imprisonment and fined RM20,000, in default three months' jail, by the Magistrate's Court here. Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court Judge Rosli Ahmad, to whom the case was previously reassigned, ordered that Sun Xue Song's jail term take effect from the date of his arrest on March 30. Sun, 42, was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to RM50,000 upon conviction. Rosli said the court took into account the accused's plea of guilt, the circumstances of the offence, mitigation presented and the broader public interest. 'I accept the accused's guilty plea and convict him as charged. After considering all circumstances, I sentence him to five years' imprisonment from the date of arrest and a RM20,000 fine, in default three months' imprisonment,' he said. The court also ordered that Sun be disqualified from holding a driving licence for five years from the date of the charge and for his passport to be returned upon completion of his sentence. In mitigation, Sun's counsel Terence Tiong Ing Jie submitted that the accused, an engineering graduate, had lawfully entered Malaysia for employment to support his 70-year-old mother and seven-year-old son. He further noted that the accused had no prior convictions, had fully cooperated with the authorities, voluntarily surrendered himself following the accident and expressed sincere remorse over the victim's death. ALSO READ: Sabah state court director Marutin Pagan dies in two-vehicle crash 'The accused made a bereavement payment of RM70,000 to the deceased's wife, not as an attempt to seek leniency but as a sincere act of compassion,' said Tiong. The court was also informed that the collision occurred along a known accident-prone stretch of Jalan Kanowit-Durin. According to the statement of facts, the incident occurred on March 30 at approximately 1 pm when the accused was driving a Proton X70 along Jalan Kanowit-Durin towards the Kanowit roundabout. At the same time, a Toyota Fortuner driven by Margaretha Jeramy Marutin, with four passengers, including the deceased, Marutin Pagan, was already navigating the roundabout. Sun failed to stop and give way at the designated road markings and dangerously entered the roundabout, resulting in a collision which caused the Fortuner to overturn and land on its side outside the roundabout. Marutin sustained multiple injuries and was rushed to Kanowit Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A post-mortem confirmed the cause of death as 'head and chest injuries due to a road traffic crash.' Sun initially claimed trial on April 7 before Magistrate Romario Jonoi but changed his plea to guilty during pre-trial case management on May 16. The case was initially handled by Magistrate Oon Kork Chern, who later recused himself due to a personal acquaintance with the deceased. The matter was then reassigned to Judge Rosli Ahmad. Deputy public prosecutor Cynthia Emmelda Jerry conducted the prosecution.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Chinese national jailed 5 years for fatal crash in Sibu
SIBU: A Chinese national who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving resulting in the death of Sabah State Courts director Marutin Pagan, was today sentenced to five years' imprisonment and fined RM20,000, in default three months' jail, by the Magistrate's Court here. Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court Judge Rosli Ahmad, to whom the case was previously reassigned, ordered that Sun Xue Song's jail term take effect from the date of his arrest on March 30. Sun, 42, was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to RM50,000 upon conviction. Rosli said the court took into account the accused's plea of guilt, the circumstances of the offence, mitigation presented and the broader public interest. ALSO READ: Chinese national pleads guilty to causing death of Sabah court director 'I accept the accused's guilty plea and convict him as charged. After considering all circumstances, I sentence him to five years' imprisonment from the date of arrest and a RM20,000 fine, in default three months' imprisonment,' he said. The court also ordered that Sun be disqualified from holding a driving licence for five years from the date of the charge and for his passport to be returned upon completion of his sentence. In mitigation, Sun's counsel Terence Tiong Ing Jie submitted that the accused, an engineering graduate, had lawfully entered Malaysia for employment to support his 70-year-old mother and seven-year-old son. He further noted that the accused had no prior convictions, had fully cooperated with the authorities, voluntarily surrendered himself following the accident and expressed sincere remorse over the victim's death. ALSO READ: Sabah state court director Marutin Pagan dies in two-vehicle crash 'The accused made a bereavement payment of RM70,000 to the deceased's wife, not as an attempt to seek leniency but as a sincere act of compassion,' said Tiong. The court was also informed that the collision occurred along a known accident-prone stretch of Jalan Kanowit-Durin. According to the statement of facts, the incident occurred on March 30 at approximately 1 pm when the accused was driving a Proton X70 along Jalan Kanowit-Durin towards the Kanowit roundabout. At the same time, a Toyota Fortuner driven by Margaretha Jeramy Marutin, with four passengers, including the deceased, Marutin Pagan, was already navigating the roundabout. Sun failed to stop and give way at the designated road markings and dangerously entered the roundabout, resulting in a collision which caused the Fortuner to overturn and land on its side outside the roundabout. Marutin sustained multiple injuries and was rushed to Kanowit Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A post-mortem confirmed the cause of death as 'head and chest injuries due to a road traffic crash.' Sun initially claimed trial on April 7 before Magistrate Romario Jonoi but changed his plea to guilty during pre-trial case management on May 16. The case was initially handled by Magistrate Oon Kork Chern, who later recused himself due to a personal acquaintance with the deceased. The matter was then reassigned to Judge Rosli Ahmad. Deputy public prosecutor Cynthia Emmelda Jerry conducted the prosecution.
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
Police defied court order, failed to probe Dutch model's death, lawyer claims
Published on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 10, 2025 By: Ho Kit Yen, FMT Text Size: Dutch model Ivana Smit was last seen with Alex Johnson and Luna Almaz on Dec 7, 2017 at their apartment, before she died. (Instagram pic) Kuala Lumpur: The High Court here was told today that the police had failed to conduct a thorough probe into the death of Dutch model Ivana Smit eight years ago, despite a court order directing an investigation. Lawyer SN Nair, appearing for the family, said another High Court judge had in 2019 ruled that Smit's death had been caused by 'persons known or unknown' and directed the police to take further steps in the matter. Advertisement Despite that, Nair said the subsequent investigation was done 'half-heartedly', pointing out that the police had not sought the extradition of the two main suspects, Alex Johnson and Luna Almaz. Smit was last seen with the American-Kazakh couple at their apartment on Dec 7, 2017, before she died. 'The investigating officer even conceded that (an Interpol) blue notice issued was not effective in tracking down Alex and Luna,' said Nair. Smit's family is suing the police and government for breach of statutory duties and negligence in her death probe. Nair said the issuance of the blue notice cannot be considered sufficient action in the probe into Smit's death. He said the police ought to have secured the extradition of Johnson and Almaz, taken further witness statements, and re-examined the available forensic evidence. 'This case is a sobering reminder of what happens when those charged with protecting justice are themselves negligent,' Nair added. In reply, senior federal counsel Nur Ezdiani Roleb, appearing for the government and police force, told the court that investigations into Smit's death are still ongoing. She insisted that the police had not breached their statutory function but had performed their investigative duties properly. 'The police were entitled to probe this case as a sudden death in 2017, based on the findings of the pathologist (Dr Nurliza Abdullah),' said Ezdiani. She also told the court that Smit's family was not entitled to seek damages over a purported breach of statutory duties and negligence. Trial judge Justice Roz Mawar then asked Nair to quantify the damages the family was seeking—in the event the court ruled in their favour. Nair said previous decisions indicated that RM500,000 would be an adequate sum, but left the matter for the court to determine. Ezdiana said the government will file additional submissions to address the quantum of damages issue. The court then fixed July 15 for decision. Dutch ambassador Jacques Werner was present at the hearing today. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
