News
The Department of Environmental Supervision Identified 163 Cases of Illegal Forest Use in May
Employees of the Department of Environmental Supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture identified 163 cases of illegal forest use during the period from 1 May to 31 May 2026.
Of the identified violations, 105 cases involved the illegal harvesting and transportation of timber, while 58 cases were related to breaches of technical regulations by sawmills and instances of illegal operations.
Of the identified violations, 18 cases contain indications of criminal offenses. The case materials have been forwarded to the appropriate authorities for further action.
In May 2026, 10 unregistered sawmills were sealed. In total, more than 284 cubic meters of illegally harvested timber were seized.
By region, the highest number of violations was recorded in Adjara, with 65 cases. This was followed by Imereti (23), Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti (22), Guria (12), Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti (10), Samtskhe-Javakheti (9), Kakheti (7), Shida Kartli (6), Mtskheta-Mtianeti (5), and Kvemo Kartli (3).
A violation was also recorded in the capital city. In May 2026, one illegal sawmill was identified in Tbilisi.
The Environmental Supervision Department’s patrol and rapid response teams conduct continuous 24-hour monitoring nationwide and implement preventive measures to ensure the timely prevention, suppression, and detection of illegal logging and other environmental violations. Immediate action is taken in response to every report received through the Ministry’s hotline (153).
It is noteworthy that, during the first five months of 2026, a total of 823 cases of illegal forest use were identified nationwide. Additionally, 31 illegal sawmills were sealed.
