Sulaymaniyah arrests four for illegal logging amid deforestation crackdown

SULAYMANIYAH — Authorities in Sulaymaniyah arrested four individuals in Darbandikhan district on Thursday for illegally cutting down trees, the Forest and Environment Police said.

Officers from the Bani Khelan station, working in coordination with security forces, detained the suspects and seized their vehicles along with felled trees. The arrests are part of an ongoing effort to combat illegal logging in the region.

Officials noted that over 50 individuals have been arrested in Sulaymaniyah for illegal logging since the start of the year, and several other loggers remain wanted. In December 2024 alone, 37 people were apprehended for cutting trees in protected forest areas.

Illegal logging is a key driver of deforestation in the Kurdistan Region, where traders and individuals often disregard environmental regulations to produce charcoal and firewood.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Board of Environmental Protection and Improvement has stressed that penalties for illegal tree cutting include a fine of 500,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $330). Offenders who fail to pay the fine face up to three months in prison.