VietNamNet Bridge – The investigative police of Binh Dinh Province has detained two suspects over a recent destruction of more than 60ha of forest in An Lao District.

Police in Binh Dinh Province inspect the site of deforestation in An Hung Commune. - VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Linh

The suspects are Phan De, 57, and Nguyen Van Ri, 42, both from Hoai Nhon District, Colonel Lam Cu Hieu, chief of the economic police unit, told the Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper on Thursday.

According to the initial investigation, these two people hired some people from Ba To District in central Quang Ngai Province, as well as locals, to cut down portions of the forest in An Hung Commune.

The forest being chopped down include two hectares of protected forest. The trees there were replaced with new plantings of acacia, a tree commonly grown on industrial plantations. 

Last month, local authorities discovered some 43.7ha of natural forest in An Lao District’s An Hung Commune had been destroyed.

However, according to the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Department, the destroyed forest area is 60.9ha.

Pham Van Nam, chairman of the committee, alleged that the forest was being cleared for monetary gain.

After the largest ever natural deforestation in the province, inter-agencies have co-ordinated in the investigation and found large volumes of timber and firewood at a wood chips processing factory in Tuong Son Village of Hoai Son Commune.

The timber consists of many different types of trees, tree logs and branches. Most of the trees had a diametre of 10-15cm.

A preliminary assessment suggests that most of the wood was derived from the natural forest that had been destroyed in An Hung Commune.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked Binh Dinh authorities to investigate and report the case by October 30.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ho Quoc Dung has suspended the deputy head and some forest rangers of An Lao Forest Protection Unit over the incident.

He also asked the chairman of the local People’s Committee and officials of related agencies to review their responsibility in the case. 

VNS