More than 150 Chinese Nationals Arrested for Illegal Logging in Myanmar

A large number of Chinese citizens were arrested in Myanmar for illegal logging, according to Mongabay.com.

The 155 Chinese nationals were arrested in Kachin State, which is the northernmost state in Myanmar and bordered by China to the north and east.

This is the second large-scale arrest of the new year. In January, 112 foreign nationals and 20 Myanmar citizens were arrested for illegal logging. Authorities also seized 436 logging trucks, 14 pickup trucks loaded with logs, stimulant drugs, raw opium and Chinese currency, according to Voanews.com.

Illegal logging is a big issue in the country. An analysis published last year by the Environmental Investigative Agency reported that 72 percent of logs exported from Myanmar between 2000 and 2013 were illegally harvested.