A total of seven Taiwanese nationals and undocumented migrant workers have been arrested for illegal logging in state-owned forest areas in Nantou County, according to the authorities on Friday.

The seven people – four Taiwanese and three Vietnamese undocumented migrant workers – were arrested on March 17 on a mountainous rural road in the county’s Ren’ai Township with 168 kilograms of Taiwan red cypress, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said in a statement.

Taiwan red cypress is endemic to Taiwan and is threatened by habitat loss and over-logging for its valuable timber.

A police investigation in September last year determined that an illegal logging ring was operating in state-owned forest areas in the township and had cut down trees that were over a century old, the NIA said.

Investigations linked the ring to a Vietnamese Taiwanese woman who has lived in Taiwan for 22 years, the National Police Agency (NPA) said at a press conference on Friday.

The woman, surnamed Chen (?), arranged for Taiwanese drivers to transport the undocumented migrant workers into the mountains, where they would stay for a week and cut down valuable trees.

The 168 kg of Taiwan red cypress found in their possession was worth over NT$1 million (US$33,116) on the black market, the police said.

The NIA urged the public to not engage in illegal logging as it is punishable with a prison sentence of between one and seven years and a fine of NT$1 million to NT$20 million.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel