TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Seventh Special Police Corps, a unit tasked with protecting the environment and national parks, said Monday it discovered a large quantity of suspected state-owned timber on private land in Taoyuan’s Daxi District.

A man surnamed Li (李) was summoned to explain the stockpile. Police said his account and the evidence raised suspicion, leading to his arrest on charges of violating forestry laws and theft, per CNA.

Hsu Hsiang-wei (徐翔偉), deputy captain of the corps’ Fifth Brigade, said the case was first reported in February. A task force investigated the landowner, interviewed nearby residents, and conducted a preliminary identification of the timber alongside a review of past timber auction records.

Investigators concluded the wood was likely stolen from state land and obtained a search warrant for a full investigation. Li provided receipts for the transport of driftwood as evidence, but after consulting the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, authorities determined the size and weight of the timber did not meet standards for driftwood collection.

Police seized 60 pieces of Taiwan yellow cypress and 12 pieces of red cypress, weighing over 13,000 kilograms with an estimated market value of NT$1.5 million (US$50,000).

The case has been sent to the Taoyuan District Prosecutor’s Office for investigation on suspicion of violating the Forestry Act and committing theft and embezzlement under the Criminal Code.

The Seventh Special Police Corps reminded the public that after natural disasters, municipal governments announce regulations for driftwood collection. Only area residents collecting driftwood at the designated time and location are permitted to do so; violators risk prosecution.