In the Abai region, the director of the branch of the State Forest Nature Reserve «Semey Ormany» has been detained. He is suspected of timber theft.
According to polisia.kz, in addition to him, law enforcement officers have taken more than 20 people into custody.
«More than 20 individuals have been brought to the police on suspicion of committing timber theft. Searches have been carried out, and tens of cubic metres of stolen commercial timber, woodworking machinery, cash, and branch documentation have been seized. The branch director and his accomplices have been placed in a temporary detention facility», said Kuandyk Alpys, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Department for Combating Organised Crime.
At the same time, the suspects are being checked for involvement in cases of abuse of office, bribery, embezzlement of property, and document forgery.
It is worth noting that in January of this year, the head of the State Forest Nature Reserve «Ertis Ormany», Arman Bektemirov, was detained. He is suspected of organising a corruption scheme, as well as illegal logging and sale of timber.
Recall that in June of last year, a major fire occurred in the forests of the Abai region, which resulted in the deaths of 14 employees of the «Semey Ormany» forest nature reserve. The fire destroyed more than 63,000 hectares of a unique relict pine forest. The damage exceeded 160 billion tenge.