Employees of the Adjara Regional Division of the Department of Environmental Supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture identified an unregistered sawmill in Kobuleti Municipality.

In the village of Leghva, a citizen had illegally installed a band sawmill in their residential yard.

A total of 37 unmarked roundwood logs of the cryptomeria species and 2.3 cubic meters of primary wood-processing products (planks) were also found in the area adjacent to the sawmill.

As the incident contains elements of a criminal offence, the case materials were forwarded to the relevant authority for further action.

As part of its efforts to combat illegal forest use, the Department actively employs modern technologies.

Penalties have also been tightened.

As a result of these measures, a decline in cases of illegal forest use has been recorded in recent years. The crews of the Department of Environmental Supervision patrol across the country 24 hours a day to ensure the timely prevention, detection, and suppression of illegal forest use and other environmental violations. An immediate response is provided to every report received through the Ministry’s hotline (153).

In the first nine months of this year, the Department identified 1,203 cases of illegal forest use across the country. A total of 51 unregistered sawmills were sealed.

By region, the highest number of violations - 285 - was identified by officers of the Adjara Regional Division within their area of responsibility.

In the first nine months of the year, 11 unregistered sawmills were sealed in Adjara.