IPOH: A joss stick factory in Sungai Siput was shut down after it was found to be operating with an expired licence.
The Forestry Department here said that the enforcement team raided the factory on Friday (June 4) and found that its licence was not renewed when it expired on June 30 last year and had not applied for a renewal.
In a statement on Sunday (June 6) it said four people were arrested comprising the factory’s 65-year-old owner, a 57-year-old local worker and two foreign workers in their 30s.
“The team also seized several machines and a police report was made soon after,” the Department added.
It also said that several raids were conducted on Friday to ensure that wood-based mills were operating with proper approvals and to prevent any forest exploitation during the MCO.
On the same day, three locals aged between 27 and 55 were arrested in another operation at the Bubu Permanent Forest Reserve in Beruas, Manjung for forest exploitation.
The Department said that the enforcement area found one of them cutting down a tree when they entered the area at about 5:30pm.
“Several items including a backhoe, chainsaw and a parang were also seized. All three suspects were brought to the Manjung police headquarters for further action,” it stated.
The three can be charged under Section 81(1)(b) and Enactment 81(1)(e) of the Forestry Act.
