The Hsinchu County District Court on Monday fined a criminal ring headed by Ho Ching-chung (何敬忠) NT$70 million (US$2.28 million) for illegal logging and poaching of protected wildlife in 2020.
Ho, 52, a resident of Hsinchu County’s Hsinchu’s Jianshi Township (尖石) died after being released on bail last year, the ruling said.
The group operated in the area for years, cutting down protected trees, such as red cypress and Taiwan yellow cypress, it said.
Photo: Tsai Chang-sheng, Taipei Times
The group also shot and killed a Formosan black bear, an endangered species and iconic symbol of Taiwan.
The 14 people were found guilty of contravening the Forestry Act (森林法), and ordered to pay NT$70 million in total fines, including more than NT$10 million each for three of the principal figures, the ruling showed.
In January 2020, after being tipped off, police intercepted and searched the vehicles of members of the group as they were traveling down a mountain road.
Aside from finding eight pieces of cypress wood in the vehicles, police found more logged tree remains, along with chainsaws and other tools, as well as canvas tents that the group used as temporary living quarters at the logging site.
The court denounced Ho and his accomplices for stealing 500kg of the nation’s valuable forestry resources, saying they have harmed efforts to protect the nation’s mountain forests and damaged the ecosystem.
“The suspects were accomplices in the illicit sale of these protected tree species and enticing other criminal elements to join the underground business of selling illegally logged trees,” it said.
An investigation found that the group sold illegally logged wood for NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 per piece.
The court sentenced members of the group from several months up to two-and-a-half years in prison.
After being released on bail in June last year, Ho went missing.
A body found in a mountainous area was confirmed to be that of Ho. He died of COVID-19.
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