Iran destroys 800 illegal coal kilns in western Kermanshah province

TEHRAN, Iran — TEHRAN — Iranian authorities in the western province of Kermanshah have destroyed 800 traditional coal kilns and shut down three industrial-scale kilns used for illegal coal production over the past two years, a local official said. Colonel Daneş Fîlî, commander of the Conservation Unit of the provincial Directorate of Natural Resources, said the operations recovered about 315 hectares of national land in forest and rangeland areas. Enforcement teams detained 118 people suspected of involvement in forest product smuggling, seized 71 vehicles and pieces of heavy machinery and referred more than 40 violators to the judiciary, Fîlî said. Raids also yielded over 100 tons of smuggled timber and 30 tons of coal, along with more than 12 tons of plant materials, including black seed, licorice root and gum, placed under preservation measures. As part of forest fire prevention efforts, crews established firebreaks longer than 540 kilometers in high-risk areas and set up 120 permanent and temporary firefighting bases, according to Fîlî. No additional details on follow-up measures were immediately available.