Georgia: The Employees of the Environmental Supervision Department of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture have revealed the fact of illegal forest use in Akhmeti municipality.

The Environmental Supervision Department of Georgia shared the details of these facts on its official Facebook Page on Thursday, October 9, 2025. The Department also shared some glimpses of the facts along with their details.

In the Ilto valley, a rail for the tape-type saw equipment and a large amount of wood-woods placed around it – 37 units of beech and a primary recycling product of up to 10 cubic meters (Fitsari).

Because the fact contains the signs of criminal offenses, the Akhmeti Regional Office of Internal Affairs has started an investigation under Article 303 of the Criminal Code.

The Crews from the Department of Environmental Protection are carrying out 24-hour non-stop patrolling across the country to prevent, detect, and respond to illegal forestry, poaching, fishing, and other environmental violations promptly. In addition, an immediate response is made to each message received on the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture’s hotline (153).

In the framework of the fight against illegal forest use, the Department actively uses modern technologies. At the same time, the sanctions have been stricter. As a result of all these actions, in recent years, there has been a decrease in the frequency of illegal forest use.

Environmental Protection Division

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is a governmental organization tasked with safeguarding Georgia’s water, land, and air resources under the auspices of federal and state environmental laws. Air and water quality, solid waste, hazardous waste, water supply, surface mining, underground storage tanks, and other facilities are governed by these rules for both public and private establishments.