Vietnamese gang nabbed for cutting down 'gaharu'

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Forestry Department has crippled a Vietnamese gang specialising in cutting down the highly prized "gaharu" (agarwood) trees for sale with the arrest of 13 of them on Wednesday.

Department director Rosli Jamaluddin said seven men and six women were detained when officers raided a hut at Simpang Ampat, South Seberang Perai, during the midnight operation.

He said the raiding team managed to seize five kilos of the wood as well as the chopping equipment used to chop down the trees.

He said the seized wood was of the lowest grade and did not discount the possibility the higher graded wood could have been sold off before the operation.

He pointed out the lowest grade of agarwood could be sold for RM5 per kg while the highest grade was valued at RM20,000 per kg.

"The oil extracted from the wood is used to make perfume and is highly sought after," he said when contacted.

Rosli said initial investigation showed the gang had been operating for more than three months but were still trying to ascertain the source of the agarwood.

He added checks revealed those detained did not possess proper travel documents and would be referred to the Immigration Department for further action.

Rosli said the department would be keeping the seized wood for now pending investigations and urged the public to inform the authorities of any such illegal activity.