Employees of the National Forestry Agency identified 81 violations in February of this year. Of these, 80 cases involve the illegal harvesting and transportation of timber.

In total, up to 110 cubic meters of illegally obtained firewood and timber of various species were seized and stored in the Forestry Agency’s operational yards.

Across the country, cases of illegal logging were detected in several regions. Eleven violations were identified by employees of the Imereti Forestry Service, 6 in Samtskhe-Javakheti, 6 in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, 11 in Kvemo Kartli, 31 in Kakheti, 3 in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, 6 in Guria, 5 in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, and 2 by the Shida Kartli Forestry Service. In addition, 1 unregistered sawmill and an unauthorized charcoal kiln were discovered in Imereti.

Three of the violations contain signs of criminal offenses, and the materials have therefore been forwarded to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.

It is also noteworthy that 109 cases of illegal logging were identified nationwide during January and February.