At least 4 000 Mukula logs have been seized in the latest crackdown on the illegal trade in the endangered tree species, said Zambian police in Zambia.

“We are appealing to the Forestry Department to expedite the process of disposing off the logs to prevent damage and create space as we continue operations,” said North Western Province Commissioner of Police Auxensio Daka.

Daka said the logs were confiscated in various operations conducted in the area, and the latest was last Friday with the impounding of two trucks and arrest of two people.

“Last Friday, around 02:00 hours, we intercepted two trucks using a bush path to avoid a nearby police check-point,” he said.

Tucked closer to the border with the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the province had become a conduit for the illegal trade in Mukula tree. Authorities recently fingered foreign syndicates for fueling the illegal trade.

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