Kuala lumpur: The General Operations Force (GOF) seized timber and processing equipment worth RM640,510 and arrested a 20-year-old man during a raid on a sawmill in Kuala Berang here today. GOF Southeast Brigade Commander SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain stated that the suspect, a native of Setiu, was apprehended during Ops Khazanah at a sawmill on Jalan Sungai Tong near Gerdong around 1 pm.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the raid was conducted with the assistance of the Hulu Terengganu District Forestry Office. It was based on intelligence and revealed a variety of timber and equipment, including heavy machinery, a sharpening machine, a lorry, round logs, and pole logs, all of which were seized for further investigation under Section 68 of the National Forestry Act 1984 (Act 313).

Further investigations indicated that the sawmill owner, known as Sekati and believed to reside in Kampung Gerdong near Kuala Berang, was operating the facility without complying with licence conditions and regulations set by the relevant authorities. Ahmad Radzi revealed that timber purchases were suspected to have been conducted through middlemen and paid for in cash, a tactic used to obscure connections to the sawmill owner and to evade detection and financial scrutiny by authorities.

Ahmad Radzi emphasized that inspections and monitoring will be intensified to prevent misuse of permits, illegal logging activities, or encroachment on forest reserve resources, especially in Terengganu.