Over 30 illegal lumberjacks allegedly attacked six forest rangers to take back seized timber in Ha Nha Hamlet, Dai Loc District, Quang Nam Province yesterday.

The seized timber

At 3 am yesterday, the Forest Management Team 2 found more than 30 illegal lumberjacks using four motorboats, pulling 10 rafts of timber, along the Ha Nha section of Vu Gia River.

Six forest rangers immediately gave chase and forced the lumberjacks to stop their rafts.

While the forest rangers were using their boats to tow the third raft to the riverside, some lumberjacks jumped into their boats and used sticks, canes, knives and scimitars to threaten them. Other lumberjacks cut the rope and waded the rafts of timber back into the midstream of the river.

Despite one forest ranger firing warning shots, Le Van Lan, 19, resident of Dai Nghia Commune, crashed his boat into one of the rangers’ boats, causing severe damage.

The illegal lumberjacks ran away when they spotted the police arriving. Only Le Van Lan was arrested.

Three rafts with more than 10 cubic meters of precious timber were rescued. A large volume of timber was pushed by the lumberjacks into the river and was swept away.

In the afternoon, the Team coordinated with Dai Loc police to crane nearly 20 cubic meters of timber from Vu Gia’s banks.

The investigation continues.