Myanmar authorities says it arrested 23 suspects for alleged smuggling of timber across the country.
The military-owned Myawaddy Daily reported on Thursday that from Feb. 5 to 11 this year, the authorities apprehended the suspects and seized over 143.62 tonnes of timber and 14 vehicles and machines.
The confiscated timber included over 35.07 tonnes of teak, over 6.88 tonnes of hardwood and over 101.66 tonnes of other types of timber, it said.
The Forest Department under the country’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation has been cracking down on illegal logging and trading of forest products through various methods.
It’s including the implementation of a community monitoring and reporting system, it said.