GUA MUSANG - The Kelantan Forestry Department (JPNK) has revealed a syndicate where forest reserves are explored, demarcated and sold illegally without proper documentation.
Its director, Abdul Khalim Abu Samah said, although the activity was done without any proper documents, it is still in high demand.
"The result of the investigation indicated that these syndicates will explore the forest reserves area and prepare the plot before selling them to outsiders.
"The syndicate will cultivate the plots between one, two or six hectares and then sell them,” he said to reporters during an integrated operation to combat the illegal exploration of the Relai Forest Reserve on Monday (Jan 24).
The operation involved 81 personnel from JPNK, Department of Lands and Mines, Police officers and Malaysia Civil Defence Department.
According to him, the buyers are not aware that the area is already owned, but will proceed to purchases the land because they do not require the grand and only need to pay the deposit.
Khalim added that would-be owners are left in a lurch when JPNK conducted their operations to destroy illegally planted crops in these areas.
Commenting further, Abdul Khalim said, the value of the plots sold is unknown by JPNK as it depends on the crops planted and the size of the area.
"JPNK do not dismiss the possibility that local residents are the mastermind behind this illegal activity and we will always be on alert to combat the activity of illegal exploration of forest reserves apart from establishing cooperations between various agencies to detect the activity.
"We will be using advanced modern technology such as Forest Monitoring Using Remote Sensing (FMRS), drone and enforcement officers from the district and our headquarters to monitor the illegal forest exploration activity,'' he said.
According to him, the areas that are targeted by the syndicates are Gua Musang and several other forest reserves in the state.
He said Kelantan possesses a forest reserve boundary of more than 8,000km.