Combined operatives of the provincial office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here and the Crime Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) based in Pampanga recently apprehended more than P480,000 worth of illegally source premium lumber of Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) and Molave (Vitex parviflora) from a furniture shop in Lubao town, this province.
 
According to police staff Sgt. Reynaldo Camacho, investigator from CIDG, their agents who posed as buyers were able to buy illegally sawn lumbers to a certain Josemary Limpin in the King and Prince Sash and Furniture Shop in Barangay Remedios in Lubao town.
 
"The suspect, who also owned the sash and furniture shop was arrested while the illegal cut lumbers were seized and apprehended in the operation for failure of the owner to show legal documents" he said.
 
According to Laudemir Salac, provincial environment and natural resources officer (PENRO) in Pampanga, over 4,000 board feet of illegally sourced lumbers of Narra and Molave were apprehended by the combined operatives of PENRO and CIDG.
 
"We are not lowering our guards even during this pandemic but instead we further intensified our anti-illegal logging campaign to check movement of illegal forest contrabands", he explained.
 
He said Narra and Molave are premium hardwood species because of their excellent wood quality primarily for furniture industry, as such making these species a favorite target of illegal loggers.
 
"We are still verifying the origin of this lumber species but definitely it's not from the province," he clarified.
 
The DENR- PENRO has already filed criminal charges against the suspect for violating the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines (PD 705). (-30-)
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Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases
Published: 26 April 2021