1,677 Illegal Logs Discovered in Five North Sumatra Sawmills
A joint operational team from the Ministry of Forestry has secured approximately 1,677 round logs of mixed jungle and meranti species, suspected of lacking barcodes or legality markers, at five timber processing industries in the East Kisaran District, Asahan Regency, North Sumatra. In addition to the round logs, the team also seized 30 bandsaw units as well as processed timber in the form of planks and rafters. The operation, which commenced on Wednesday (13/5), involved Forestry Law Enforcement (Gakkum), the Sustainable Forest Management Agency (BPHL) Region II Medan, and the North Sumatra Provincial Environmental and Forestry Service.
The investigation began following community reports regarding suspected illegal logging activities in Poldung Village and the Simonis area, North Labuhanbatu Regency, where the resulting timber was allegedly transported and stored by sawmills in East Kisaran. An inspection of the five timber processing industries revealed the following findings: CV AMS with 758 logs and 12 bandsaw machines; UD R with 413 logs and 5 machines; CV FJ with 36 logs and 6 machines; CV MBS with 360 logs and 2 machines; and CV SJP with 110 logs and 5 machines.
The Head of the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency for the Sumatra Region, Hari Novianto, emphasised that the inspection is being conducted thoroughly before any legal action is taken. “Currently, the team is working to meticulously examine, count, and measure the timber, check barcodes or legality markers, match documents, and interrogate sawmill owners, forest product harvesters, workers, and witnesses. Every log must have a clear origin. If the inspection finds facts that the timber originates from illegal logging or lacks valid documentation, we will process the case through available legal instruments, both administrative and criminal,” Hari stated in an official briefing on Monday (18/5).
The Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, asserted that sawmills are not merely processing sites but crucial points in the forest product supply chain that determine whether timber entering the industry is from a legitimate source. “When timber without a clear origin enters the processing stage, forest product governance is weakened. Therefore, supervision of the timber processing industry must be strengthened so that illegal timber cannot find its way to the market,” said Duji.
He further emphasised that forestry law enforcement must protect various interests simultaneously, including forest sustainability, business certainty for compliant actors, state revenue, and the communities that depend on natural resources. “Illegal timber not only destroys forests but also creates injustice for compliant businesses and reduces the benefits that should return to the people. Therefore, the state must be firm, precise, and consistent,” concluded Dwi.