It is understood that between November and December 2022, several forestry surveys carried out in northern Gabon identified four sites of illegal logging. It is reported that these suspects and their accomplices were equipped with various sawing tools, and because they failed to issue a logging authorization from the administrative department, the machines and the felled timber were confiscated.
In an interview, one of the personnel involved in the operation, recalling the capture, said that four trees that had not yet been processed were found at the scene, as well as 203 slats and rafters. Local residents also confirmed seeing trucks carrying the disputed timber out of the site at night.
Two of the other illegal logging sites were unauthorized sites operated by a person holding a sawmill licence.
The Gabonese Water and Forestry Authority, after hearing the opinions of the people concerned, determined that the suspects had violated the forestry law. The timber seized at the four illegal logging sites was mainly African rosewood, berry and big bima.
According to the Gabonese Water and Forestry Authority, timber extraction requires respect for legality and respect for sustainable forest management, and failure to comply with laws in this area will harm Gabon's natural environment and threaten future generations' natural resources.
As the demand for timber resources increases in the global market, illegal logging occurs in different parts of the world in the countries of origin of timber. In particular, Gabon's ban on log exports has been in place since 2010, which has also resulted in the majority of illegal timber exports from Gabon being logs.