{"id":5124,"date":"2024-06-13T15:07:10","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T15:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.thedaylight.org\/wp68\/?p=5124"},"modified":"2024-06-13T15:07:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T15:07:17","slug":"no-action-against-exposed-timber-traffickers-at-cari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stage.thedaylight.org\/wp68\/2024\/06\/13\/no-action-against-exposed-timber-traffickers-at-cari\/","title":{"rendered":"No Action Against Exposed Timber Traffickers at CARI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A collage showing piles of processed planks discovered at the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI). The DayLight\/Rebazar D. Forte<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

By Rebazar D. Forte<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

SUAKOKO, Bong County \u2013 Authorities have taken no actions against a gang of illegal timber traffickers whose network was exposed in a DayLight investigation<\/a> nearly two months ago.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investigation discovered the network ringleaders were two Chinese Chaolong Zhong and Guoping Zhang, a Turkish Mehmet Onder Erem, and a Liberian Terrence Collins<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The illegal traffickers transformed an agriculture research yard into an underground sawmill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The gang purchased timber from Lofa, Nimba and vendors in Suakoko, Bong County, processed them at the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) and smuggled the wood via containers, the investigation found. Thousands of timber were abandoned at several locations in a compound at CARI, published in the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CARI promised to probe the matter, while the Forestry Development Authority is required to investigate and prosecute the alleged suspects. However, there have been no known investigations, and timber remains in the same position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Timber can be found everywhere in a yard occupied by China Aid, the Chinese state-owned international development agency <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A large pile of processed timber bound for smuggling <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In April, CARI\u2019s Officer in Charge Dr. James Dolo said, \u201cI can guarantee you that we are going to get on it by next month (May).\u201d Dolo did not return repeated calls and a text message on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA did not immediately respond to queries for comment on its failure to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smuggling timber and running an underground sawmill breaks the National Forestry Reform Law<\/a>. Under the law, the regulator should report the \u201ceconomic sabotage\u201d to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Timber at CARI <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Boxlike timber at CARI <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, forestry\u2019s Regulation on Confiscated Logs, Timber and Timber Products<\/a> mandates the FDA to confiscate stolen timber and seek a court\u2019s permission to auction them after several public notices.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The timber traffickers operated in China Turkey Liberia Industries (CTL industries), degrading a compound meant for agricultural research. The US$6 million project was part of Beijing\u2019s efforts to promote agricultural technology in Africa under China Aid, Beijing\u2019s agency for international development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The timber traffickers boosted at least 33 staffers, more than tripling China Aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Timber kept on a basketball court at CARI <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Authorities have done nothing to confiscate and auction thousands of timber uncovered at CARI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The illegal timber traffickers overshadowed agricultural works at CARI <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists of Lbiera (CoFEJ).<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A collage showing piles of processed planks discovered at the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI). The DayLight\/Rebazar D. Forte By Rebazar D. Forte SUAKOKO, Bong County \u2013 Authorities have taken no actions against a gang of illegal timber traffickers whose network was exposed in a DayLight investigation nearly two months ago.\u00a0 The investigation discovered the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":5136,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[82,54,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-investigations","category-logging","category-rainforest"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\n","aioseo_head_json":{"title":"No Action Against Exposed Timber Traffickers at CARI - The DayLight","description":"Authorities have taken no actions against a gang of illegal timber traffickers whose network was exposed in a DayLight investigation nearly two months ago.","canonical_url":"https:\/\/stage.thedaylight.org\/wp68\/2024\/06\/13\/no-action-against-exposed-timber-traffickers-at-cari\/","robots":"noindex, nofollow, max-image-preview:large","keywords":"","webmasterTools":{"msvalidate.01":"CA6BD2F84653EA44942A55ABC0B35372","miscellaneous":""},"schema":null,"og:locale":"en_US","og:site_name":"The DayLight - The DayLight is a nonprofit, environmental news website. 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