The key facts
- Three men were detained in Altai Krai for illegal timber harvesting after attempting to block a pursuit with logs.
- The stop occurred after shots were fired at the wheels; the suspects resisted arrest.
- A criminal case has been opened, and materials have been handed over to investigators over the violence against police officers.
Detention of forest offenders in Altai Krai
In the Volchikhinsky District of Altai Krai, law enforcement officers detained three men suspected of illegal timber harvesting. The operation began after a police drone recorded suspicious activity in the Bor-Forpostovsky forest district, where the men were allegedly cutting down dried-out trees. Upon detection by the drone, the suspects attempted to flee in a cargo truck, but the pursuit continued with forces from the criminal investigation department and the Rosgvardia.
Attempted blockade and use of force
During the chase, the truck driver tried to block the path of the police vehicle by dumping all the harvested timber from the dump bed directly onto the forest road. This maneuver did not allow the offenders to escape pursuit. The vehicle was stopped only after shots were fired at its wheels. Despite this, the detainees resisted arrest, which, according to the official spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Irina Volk, led to the opening of a separate case regarding the use of violence against law enforcement officers.
Legal consequences and seized items
Against all three detainees a criminal case has been opened, and administrative protocols have also been drawn up. Materials have been handed over to investigators for a procedural decision regarding the resistance to police. During the operation, law enforcement seized the truck, the illegally harvested timber, and two chainsaws. A decision on the violence episode has not yet been made.
