2019

Six Timber Thieves have been Detained in Daugavpils Municipality

Last year from October to December, JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) together with employees of the State Police Latgale Region, organised inspections in forests to find persons responsible for stealing timber and to prevent further arbitrary tree cutting and environmental pollution with household and construction waste. As a result, six persons were subjected to criminal proceedings.

LVM employees already for a long time have been recording violations in Daugavpils Municipality. "The biggest damage to the forest was constantly caused in Nīcgale Forest District, so we decided to take an active part in the search for the perpetrators to prevent further abuse. The offenders systematically worked in the dark hours of the day, when LVM employees had completed their daily duties and were no longer in the forest. So we organised regular patrols together with police officers during evenings and in early morning hours. Already in the third raid, offenders who were carrying illegally harvested timber in their vehicles were detained," says Kristaps Plonis, a forestry worker at LVM Southern Latgale Region Nīcgale Forest District.

During these three months, while the State Police and LVM employees were in search for the offenders, many vehicles were searched in state forests around Daugavpils. As a result, six timber thieves have been detained. Documents necessary for initiating a criminal case have been submitted to the State Police.

"Although the local people are aware of the cooperation between LVM and the State Police, forest thieves continue their activities in the forest. Our work will continue until the abuses are eliminated," says Kristaps Plonis, full of confidence.