Dutch authorities seize 375 tons of illegally sourced tropical wood

Dutch authorities have seized 375 tons of illegally sourced tropical hardwood from an importer. The azobé wood came from Gabon, but the importer could not demonstrate that the trees had been legally felled, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

The NVWA’s specialist team investigating illegally sourced timber searched two business premises and a home in the northern Netherlands together with police. Belgian customs are also involved in the investigation and intercepted two shipments of wood bound for the company at the Port of Antwerp.

Dutch authorities seized the shipments in July and September. The total amount of wood is equivalent to around 16 truckloads, the NVWA said.

During the raid on the two business premises and the residence in the northern Netherlands, authorities didn't just take paperwork. The specialized team formally seized the importer’s corporate real estate and bank accounts. The Dutch national public prosecution office for environmental crimes stated this measure was put in place to ensure that all illegally obtained profits can be stripped from the company immediately following a court conviction.

The NVWA has not disclosed where the company is based, saying it rarely releases such information while an investigation is ongoing. The company’s owner was arrested in May and later released after being questioned.

The NVWA says illegal logging contributes to deforestation, destroys wildlife habitats, and worsens climate change. The importer is currently being investigated for breaching the European Timber Regulation (EUTR), which mandates that any company bringing timber onto the European market must perform strict due diligence to guarantee its legal origin.

The NVWA mentioned in its press statement that on December 30, 2026, the EUTR will officially be replaced by the much more stringent European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The upcoming EUDR will force traders to supply precise geolocation coordinates of the exact plots of land where their wood was harvested to verify that it didn't drive forest degradation.

While the NVWA's specialized Illegal Timber Team led the operational logistics, they were flanked by the environmental team of the Midden-Nederland police force. Police and the NVWA also emphasized that illegal logging severely disrupts local populations in the Congo Basin, who directly rely on these specific tropical rainforests for their daily food, shelter, and primary income.