Gangs have been illegally tapping the trees, resulting in a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rubber. According to local authorities, some of the criminal gangs include as many as 50 people.
“Firestone has been one of the targeted victims of illicit tapping over the year,” said Firestone spokesman Rufus Karmoh. “There have been some fatalities and destruction. It’s been attributed to illicit tappers who are roaming the concession areas in search of rubber to the detriment of our dedicated employees and management.”
It’s not known how much the thieves have cost Firestone but it’s estimated to be in tens of thousands of US dollars. Karmoh says the activities of illicit rubber tappers are posing a serious threat to production.
Firestone has appealed for support from the United Nations peacekeepers (UNMIL) and Liberian police. In addition, sniffer dogs have been brought in to help the police and UNMIL detect and track down the illicit tappers.
Firestone tries to plant 5,000 new seedlings per year, but it takes seven years for a tree to be large enough to produce rubber. Many of the trees are burned or damaged by the thieves. Observers blame part of the problem on an 80% unemployment rate and a long period of theft during the country’s civil war.
Firestone says it has invested nearly $100 million to upgrade its facilities in Liberia. It’s the country’s biggest employer, with 6,000 workers on more than 200 square miles of plantations. Development specialists say they’re concerned that the attacks will undermine Liberia’s efforts to rebuild its devastated economy.
