Mizzima News

Ruili (Mizzima) – Illegal logging trucks seized in the forests of Mansi Township, Kachin State started being moved to Bamo two days ago.

About 200 logging trucks seized in the forests and on the mountain range in Mansi Township were first driven to nearby Gaihteik village. Then it was driven to Bamo along the Mansi-Bamo highway.

"They started moving the trucks over the last two days. Yesterday was market day in Gaihteik. They were driven from the mountains to Gaihteik sans goods. After which the trucks were driven to Bamo," a timber merchant who saw the trucks being transferred told Mizzima.

The trucks were seized during the logging season from January to March this year in the course of combing operations against illegal logging conducted by the authorities. The trucks are Dong Feng long body trucks.

A timber carrier said that all the trucks were from Gaihteik and nearby places, Tonpalway, Sithaw and Sikhangyi.

The vehicles were parked in the complex of the Bamo based No. 21 Military Operation Command after arrival.

"The Burmese Army gave Kyat 10,000 to each driver to bring in all the seized trucks. The same thing is being done in the valley and creek," a timber carrier said.

"Most of the seized trucks are brand new. Earlier they used Dong Feng trucks but now they are using new brands such as 'Phouk Che' 25. The best brand is 'Yan Phaung'. The new trucks were seized but now they are transferring only old Dong Feng trucks," he added.

The logging trucks commonly in use are Phouk Che 25, Yan Phaung (in Chinese). These trucks are fully equipped with logging equipments and cost tens of millions of Kyats each.

It is learnt that the owners of these brand new trucks bought old model Dong Feng long body trucks from Nawn Taung in China (opposite Nam Kham) and Bamo and then replaced them with new vehicles by greasing the palms of army personnel  to the tune of Kyat  2 to 3 million.