Beira, Mozambique, Aug. 22, 2025 (Lusa) - The Mozambican forestry authorities today arrested a ship with 111 containers, which was on its way to China, on suspicion of smuggling prohibited timber for export, at the port of Beira, in Sofala province, central Mozambique.

"There is a need to recheck. We suspect that these containers contain logs," said the head of the Inspection Department at the National Agency for Environmental Quality Control (AQUA), Arsénio Chelengo.

The representative, who was speaking during the process of inspecting part of the containers in the port of Beira, explained that the process of a phased "confrontation" of the containers is currently underway, in response to a complaint of "irregularities" in the vessel's product.

"We are working promptly on the 111 containers that are on the ship (...). We're at an early stage, there are still many more to unload," said Arsénio Chelengo.

Deforestation in Mozambique has affected 875,453 hectares in four years, despite having receded during 2022, mainly affecting the provinces of Niassa and Zambézia, according to statistics previously reported by Lusa.

According to a report by the National Statistics Institute, gathering data from 2019 to 2022, in that last year deforestation - of various types of forest - fell by 31% compared to the previous year, to 209,464 hectares.

Deforestation peaked in 2021, at 303,689 hectares, with 264,999 hectares of semi-deciduous (tropical) forest, 29,258 hectares of semi-evergreen forest and 99 hectares of mangrove, among others.

LYCE/ADB // ADB.

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