"During the stay-home period which took effect in April, officials have been able to arrest more illegal traders and those involved in illegal logging, the Forest Department said. Most of the arrests were made during the Thingyan period between April 10 and 19 in all states and regions, said U Kyaw Myo, deputy director of the department. “Typically, illegal loggers take advantage of the Thingyan period to conduct more logging activities. But this time, as most regions were under stay-home notices and transport was limited, many officials could not return to their homes and remained in the forest campsites. This enabled them to make more arrests,” he said. The arrests have continued with stay-home orders and curfews extended to May 15. In the first week of May, authorities reported 40 cases of seized timber across the regions and states. During the period, a total of 488 people including a foreigner were arrested and 7423 tonnes of illegal timber, including 1567 tonnes of teak, was seized. Some 2830 tonnes of timber, about 40pc of the total, was seized in Kachin State. The authorities also confiscated 296 vehicles and heavy machinery and 44 chain saws. To prevent deforestation and illegal timber smuggling at the borders, Myanmar banned exports of raw timber logs produced in natural forests in April 2014. Under the law, all exports of processed timber can take place at the Yangon ports with overland trade prohibited. In July last year, the authorities allowed exports of raw timber produced at private forest plantations. However, illegal trading of raw timber logs from Myanmar’s natural forests has continued. In August last year, Chinese authorities carried out a series of raids along China’s border with Myanmar, seizing more than 100,000 tons of timber held in warehouses, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)..."