Large amounts of lumber have been cut illegally in the Toplica District of southern Serbia; a local forestry company spokesman told the Beta news agency on Thursday.
Spokesman Stojan Bijelic said that 4,280 cubic meters of lumber had been cut from woodlands managed by the Toplica Forestry Company in the municipalities of Kursumlija, Blace, Prokuplje, Zitoradja and Merosina. He said that most of the lumber had been cut out of woods along the administrative boundary with Kosovo, specifying that at least 3,500 cubic meters of wood had been taken illegally from the old beech and oak forests.
“Trees are constantly being felled illegally in the area and I see no way to stop it,” Bijelic said, adding that the illegal loggers don’t fear the army or the police. “They come from Podujevo on the other side of the administrative line in special vehicles and with the equipment they need to quickly cut down trees before anyone can catch them.
Bijelic warned that the illegal loggers are causing serious damage to the environment by cutting down saplings.
