BÌNH ĐỊNH — Police of Vĩnh Thạnh District in southern Bình Định Province will investigate a deforestation case in the local protective forest, the most serious case ever in the province.

Colonel Châu Trinh, head of the district’s police department, said yesterday the deforestation “shows signs of criminal activity as well as violation of forest exploitation and protection regulations.”

The provincial police force is working with the district’s police to expand the investigation and prosecute suspects.

Earlier, from November 5 to 8, 13 large trees in zone 183 of Vĩnh Hải Commune, Vĩnh Thạnh District, under management of the Vĩnh Thạnh Protective Forest Management Board, were found chopped.

The trees are located 50-100m away from the provincial road and between the two forest protection stations of Hang Hũ and Lò Than.

The trees are all some 30 years old and have trunk diameters of 36 to 76cm.

Several trunks were sawed and removed from the forest. Total destruction was estimated at up to 45 sq.m. of wood, according to the Vĩnh Thạnh forest ranger station.

Vĩnh Thạnh District’s Protective Forest Management Board dismissed Huỳnh Ngọc Sơn Hà, head of the Hang Hũ forest protection station, and asked Nguyễn Mạnh Thương, a station employee, to transfer work over the failure to protect trees in the area under the station’s management.

Trần Phước Phi and Trần Văn Hóa, deputy directors of Vĩnh Thạnh District’s Protective Forest Management Board, were asked to explain and review their responsibility in connection with the case.

Once the investigation concludes, penalties in accordance with the law will be imposed on violators. — VNS