# European police illegal logging crackdowns

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/european-police-illegal-logging-crackdowns
> Updated: 2026-08-16T07:45:36.000Z. Sources: 22. Developments: 5.

In early July, Kosovo police seized equipment used for illegal logging in Kaçanik. By late July, Romanian authorities launched coordinated raids in Brașov, Sălaj and Apuseni Natural Park, detaining forest workers, confiscating timber, motor‑saws, vehicles and even illegally harvested blueberries, and imposing fines amounting to several hundred thousand lei.

The crackdown continued into August. In Hunedoara County, police and forest‑guard specialists seized 70.236 m³ of illegally cut wood in Cerbăl, valued over 18 000 lei, and fined the responsible commercial entity 15 000 lei. Across the first half of 2026, more than 300 enforcement actions and 1 200 controls yielded a total of 1 528.43 m³ of timber seized nationwide. In Brașov, officers stopped a 34‑year‑old man dragging four felled trees, opening a criminal investigation.

Further enforcement in Sălaj County involved a large‑scale operation that recovered approximately 8 million lei in damages, confiscated over 1,000 m³ of illegal wood, and uncovered 243 offences, including fraud and abuse of office. In Lucăcești, police used the SUMAL 2.0 application to intercept a vehicle transporting 3.4 cubic meters of undocumented softwood, resulting in a 4,000 lei fine.

In mid-August, Romanian Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests, Diana Buzoianu, announced that Forest Guard inspections uncovered large-scale illegal logging in the Pădurea Bogății private forestry district. Investigators identified over 800 illegally felled trees across five cantons. Buzoianu criticized district administrators for attempting to minimize the findings and stated that financial damages will be imputed to the responsible foresters. Legal action, including a criminal complaint, is forthcoming.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-16: Forest Guard uncovers over 800 illegally felled trees in Romania

Over 800 trees were found illegally felled in Romania's Pădurea Bogății private forestry district, prompting criminal complaints and expanded Forest Guard inspections.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/forest-guard-uncovers-over-800-illegally-felled-trees-in-romania

### 2026-08-08: Lucăcești police seize illegal timber transport

Police in Lucăcești, Romania, seized 3.4 cubic meters of softwood being transported without valid permits and fined the driver 4,000 lei.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucceti-police-seize-illegal-timber-transport

### 2026-08-05: Romanian Police Crack Down on Illegal Logging, Seizing Over 70 Cubic Meters of Wood

Romanian police seized over 70 m³ of illegal timber in Hunedoara, fined a company 15 000 lei, and arrested a man in Brașov for transporting four stolen trees, highlighting a crackdown on illegal logging.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romanian-police-crack-down-on-illegal-logging-seizing-over-70-cubic-meters-of-wood

### 2026-07-30: Romanian police seize illegal timber and assets in forest crackdown

Romanian police raids in Brașov and Sălaj seized illegal timber, motor‑saws and assets, detaining three forest workers, while a joint park operation confiscated 220 kg of illegal blueberries.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/salaj-county-police-recover-record-8-million-lei-in-damages-seize-illegal-timber-and-vehicles

### 2026-07-04: Kosovo police seize illegal logging equipment in Kaçanik

Kosovo police stopped a pickup in Kaçanik, seized a motorbike used for illegal tree cutting, opened a forest theft case and confiscated the equipment.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kosovo-police-seize-illegal-logging-equipment-in-kaanik

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Cite as: European police illegal logging crackdowns. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/european-police-illegal-logging-crackdowns