Police seize ‘hot’ lumber

BENGUET and Mt. Province law enforcers seized and hauled P14,000 worth of illegal logs recently.

Personnel of Bokod Municipal Police Station led by Police Senior Inspector Manuel Tan and members of the Upper Agno Watershed Area Team led by a senior forest ranger confiscated abandoned illegal sawn pine lumbers that include four pieces 2x3x8, four pieces of 2x3x14, two pieces of 1x8x8, and two pieces of 2x3x10 logs.

The confiscated lumbers have a total volume of 64.66 board feet and with an estimated market value of P1,920. The law enforcers confiscated the lumbers around 8 a.m. of October 10 in Mt. Patoktok, Hilltop, Ambuklao, Bokod, Benguet.

The team hauled the lumber to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office in Sombrero, Ambuklao, Bokod for proper disposition.

Meanwhile, P5,320 worth of illegal pine lumbers were left abandoned in Balucongan Sur, Buguias, Benguet.

Personnel of the Benguet Police Provincial Public Safety Company led by PCI William Willie accounted 75 pieces of 2x2x2 lumber, and eight pieces of 1x10x6 on October 8. The confiscated lumbers have a total of 190 board feet.

In Atok, police personnel led by the Chief of Police Robert Gaspar confiscated an abandoned 15 pieces of 2x3x10 pine lumbers with a total volume of 75 board feet. It has an estimated market value of P2,000.

The abandoned lumbers were seen in Wasan, Poblacion, Atok around 9 a.m. of October 7 during the foot patrol. The lumbers were hauled to Atok Municipal Police Station for safekeeping and documentation prior turn over to the Environment department.

Still in Benguet, personnel of Sablan Municipal Police Station with Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Mario Madayag confiscated 43 pieces of Anagen lumber with a total volume of 200 board feet around 2:30 p.m. of October 6 along the private road in Towing, Pappa, Sablan.

The confiscated lumbers are now under the custody of Sablan police sation for documentation prior turn over to the concerned office.

In Mt. Province, members of the 2nd Platoon of Mt. Province Public Safety Company also recovered an abandoned 10 pieces of red lauan lumber with the following dimensions: four pieces of 2x9x12, one piece of 2x11x12, one piece of 2x13x12, three pieces of 2x6x12, and one piece of 4x12x12.

The abandoned lumbers total 204 board feet and estimated market value of P4,080. They were seen in Sitio Laborab, Bacarri, Paracelis. The items were towed and turned over to the city environment office.

No persons were arrested on the different operations. However, follow-up investigations are being conducted for the possible identification and immediate arrest of the suspects.