Nay Pyi Taw November 6
Acting on a tip off that boats carrying illegal log were using the rivers and streams flowing into the western sea in Taungup Township in Rakhine State as their hide-out and were preparing to smuggle the logs to foreign countries, security forces searched the area and seized over 20,000 logs of teak, padauk, kanyin and other wood species of various sizes, 12 large ships/motor schooners and 61 persons at 11
places during the period from 17 to 24 October. Of the seized materials, the security forces han-
ded over logs at an estimated weight of 894.24 tons (at an estimated price of Ks-2,265.5 million) to the Forest Department of Taungup Township.
The seized ships/motor schooners included one large ship with over 200 feet in length, one ship with over 120 feet in length, four motor schooners with over 100 feet in length, three motor schooners with over 90 feet in length and three motor schooners with over 60 feet in length.
Security forces are transporting the remaining logs at an estimated number of over 14,000 aboard large motor schooners and handing them over to the department concerned. Legal procedures have been made to take action against the arrested persons, and the follow-up news will be released.