KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Forestry Department sealed two makeshift factories for operating illegally in the Mengkebang section of Tanah Merah here yesterday.
Conducted as part of Ops Bersepadu, which involved 25 officers from the police, and the Immigration and Forestry Departments, the operation also saw the seizure of various timber-cutting and processing machinery worth thousands of ringgit.
The raid was conducted after the factories were found to have processed timber which was illegally sourced from nearby forest reserves.
"These factories (are not permanently situated and) move from forest to forest, whenever they like. These two particular factories have been operating illegally for more than a year.
"The timber they process is sourced from illegal loggers, and (once processed) they sell them on the black market, both in Kelantan and outside the state," said Ops Bersepadu operation chief Nor Azirim Ahmad.
He said the Forestry Department has detected more than 10 such factories lurking in the state forest, and that authorities will continue to track them one by one.
"These two factories hire both foreign and local workers.
"They use lorries to transport the wood out of the forest and their operation sites are closed off to nearby villagers (and outsiders) in a bid to remain undetected," he added.
Azirim said that the two operators are expected to be charged under the National Forestry Act 1984 soon.