More than 100 trees up to 150 years old illegally felled in Sheki district - VIDEO

The Main Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with the State Environmental Security Service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, conducted an operation to identify and detain individuals engaged in the illegal felling and processing of trees in the country's forest areas.

Operational information was received about the mass illegal felling of valuable tree species on the territory of the village of Kish in the Sheki district, 1news.az reports, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

As a result of the measures taken, local residents suspected of illegally felling trees were identified and detained: Hummet Feyzullayev, Nuvyar Babayev, Sarkhan Hummetov, Talekh Abdullayev, Rustam Maheramov, and Gemlo Nasirli.

During the investigation, it was established that the detainees illegally felled trees, processed the timber, and then sold it.

During an inspection of the area, the stumps of more than 100 beech trees cut down by the detainees were discovered. According to experts' findings, the age of some of the illegally felled trees was 100–150 years.

Work continues to prevent the illegal felling of trees, to detect such cases in a timely manner, to identify other persons involved, and to bring them to justice.

"We remind citizens that the illegal felling, destruction, and damaging of trees and other green plantings is unacceptable. Such actions harm nature and the ecological balance, and in cases provided for by law entail criminal liability. We call on citizens to treat green plantings with care and to immediately report to the police any identified facts of their illegal felling or destruction," the joint statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Ecology notes.