Malaysia jails Vietnamese man for illegal logging, reserve encroachment

The sentence was handed down on Thursday, the Sun Daily reported.

Huynh Van Van, 59, would have to spend another 16 months in jail if he cannot pay the fine.

Van was punished for removing seven logs without a license and encroaching the Lentang Forest Reserve in Bentong District last March. Details of how he mangaged to move the logs have not been revealed.

Van pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

On Wednesday, Malaysia also fined two Vietnamese men $390,000, the highest ever fine levied for poaching in Malaysia, for illegal possession of leopard, bear and boar parts, U.K.-based wildlife conservation organization TRAFFIC reported. The duo would have to spend an additional 16 years in jail if they failed to pay the fines.

Malaysia is home to swathes of jungle and a wide range of wildlife including elephants, orangutans and tigers, but they are also frequent targets of poachers and illegal loggers.