375 tons of 'incorrect' wood seized over possible illegal logging in Gabon
Dutch authorities have seized 375 tons of timber suspected of being harvested illegally following an investigation into a company based in the northern Netherlands. The wood, intercepted with the help of Belgian customs, will be repurposed by Staatsbosbeheer for public infrastructure projects rather than being destroyed.
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) recently conducted searches at two business premises and a home in the northern Netherlands as part of an investigation into suspected illegal logging. An unnamed company owner was arrested and questioned following the operation, which also led authorities to seize business records and freeze various assets to ensure the recovery of potential illicit profits. This crackdown was coordinated with Belgian customs officials, who intercepted two timber shipments at the port of Antwerp.
In total, authorities have confiscated over 375 tons of timber, equivalent to roughly sixteen full truckloads, suspected of failing to meet European legal requirements regarding origins. The European Timber Regulation mandates that importers provide proof of legal harvesting to combat deforestation and climate change. Rather than destroying the seized materials, the Public Prosecution Service announced that the wood will be repurposed by Staatsbosbeheer for constructing public infrastructure such as nature bridges, fencing, and lookout towers in protected forest areas.
Based on reporting by nu. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
