Romania’s deadly 'Timber Mafia' | Unreported World

Unreported World investigates the illegal logging trade in Romania, where a so-called ‘Timber Mafia’ is chopping down the last remaining virgin forests in Europe.

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Reporter Amelia Jenne follows the conservationists risking their lives to stop the corruption that is destroying the lungs of Europe.

In Romania it’s thought half of the timber harvested is illegal, according to environmental campaigners and the law enforcement. The EU has launched legal action against the Romanian government who continue to authorise logging in protected areas that are rich in wildlife, and vital in the fight against climate change.

In Suceava, a hotspot for illegal logging in the Carpathian Mountains, Jenne meets Dan-Catalin Turiga, a former government forester turned whistleblower who’s been tipped off that wood is being stolen from a government owned forest. On arrival they discover trees which have been illegally marked for harvest by government officials. On the mountain roads illegal shipments are being moved in plain sight, and as Dan chases down a truckload of suspected illegal timber, Jenne learns how it’s possible to cheat the government systems intended to provide transparency. Days later the police confiscate the truck and its load, and open an investigation.

But speaking out against government employed officials and loggers that form the Timber Mafia can be a dangerous business. Jenne meets those on the receiving end of death threats, beatings, and poisonings in an effort to permanently silence them.

Producer/Director: Tom Besley
Series Producer: Andy Lee
Executive Producer: Ed Fraser
Production Company: Channel 4 News

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