Due to the extreme increase in energy prices, wood from Saxony's forests has again come into focus as a fuel. This gives some criminals hope for good business.
Dresden (dpa / sn) - In Saxony's forests there are obviously more wood thieves on the move. By the end of November, 98 cases of wood theft had been reported to the police. That was more than in the previous year, when there were a total of 71 such cases, as the spokesman for the State Criminal Police Office Tom Bernhardt said at the request of the German Press Agency. The thieves attacked trunks that had been felled and stored in the forest, as well as using saws themselves to cut down trees and transport the wood away.
"Criminal offenses with special procedures could not be determined," explained Bernhardt. According to the information, the damage added up to a good 176,000 euros in the first eleven months (2021: 143,000). On average, about every second case can be cleared up by the investigators.
According to the police, fake shops that offer wood and wood products on the Internet to take money from potential buyers are also a problem. "However, the acquired wood is never delivered." Such cases of fraud have increased.
Of course, the state-owned Sachsenforst company does not see any particular cause for concern about wood theft. There is talk of "a few isolated cases" in the state forest. Yes, firewood is also stolen in Saxony, according to the Saxon Forest Owners' Association. "According to the information available to us, this is not outstanding in terms of quality or quantity compared to other years."
The police point out that property should always be secured. "If I deposit valuable material that is freely accessible, for example on a roadside, I have almost no backup option," explained LKA spokesman Bernhardt. Even wood that has already been cut to size, which is easier to transport and load, must be secured better. "You can't remove a tree trunk that weighs several hundred kilos with normal means. Chopped or sawn wood or wood sections are of course much easier."
