Timber came from Formosan cypress, other endangered species endemic to Taiwan
Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/29
By: Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Logs. (Pixabay photo)
A total of 10 busts occurred across six cities and counties on Tuesday, including at the residence of the main suspect, in national forests, and in a garage where stolen wood was kept. The trees the wood came from included Chamaecyparis formosensis, more commonly known as the Formosan cypress, Chamaecyparis taiwanensis, and Calocedrus formosana, all of which are endemic to Taiwan and have been classified as endangered or vulnerable species.
Roughly 50 tons of timber were confiscated, along with cell phones, account books, and other objects used by the group. It is estimated that the value of the stolen wood surpasses tens of millions of NT dollars.
Some of the wood has been turned into pieces of craftwork and other products, proof of organized operations spanning logging, wood processing, and trading. Police had been investigating the case for about six months, and the 11 suspects have been charged with organized crime, larceny, receiving stolen property, and violating the Forestry Act. [FULL STORY]
