Forestry Ministry Seizes 70 Illegal Logs in East Kotawaringin
The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut), through the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement, the Kalimantan Regional Forestry Law Enforcement Centre, together with the Central Kalimantan Provincial Forestry Service and the Central Kalimantan Police’s Special Criminal Investigation Directorate, conducted a joint operation to curb the circulation of illegal forest products in East Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan. The operation, involving a total of 16 personnel, was carried out over five days from 5 to 9 June 2026, following public reports about the rampant transport of logs and processed timber around the Mentaya River Basin (DAS) without valid documents.
Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, stressed that the enforcement action in the Mentaya River Basin is not merely about targeting a single location, but about safeguarding the river route that serves as the lifeblood of the community. “Mentaya is a lifeline, not a route for illicit timber. If the circulation of timber with no clear origin is allowed to pass through the river, what is damaged is not only the forest but also the watershed function that sustains the lives of residents. This joint operation affirms that the state is closing off this space and restoring proper governance,” Januanto stated on Tuesday (9/6).
He explained that the Ministry of Forestry urges the public to continue playing an active role in protecting forest areas by reporting any indications of timber transport or processing suspected to be unlicensed to the authorities. Public information helps accelerate enforcement and strengthens prevention, so that the Mentaya River Basin and other forest areas remain preserved for future generations.
He detailed that on Saturday (6/6), the joint operations team carried out searches along the tributaries of the Mentaya River, targeting the circulation and transport of unlicensed timber suspected to originate from illegal logging activities within forest areas. The operations team was deployed to several Mentaya River tributaries such as the Segiri River, Terantang River, Lantabu River, and Tamiyangan River.
Near the Tamiyangan River, the joint operations team discovered a raft of 70 logs. After further investigation not far from the discovery site, the team found one set of circular saw timber processing equipment and three wood processors nearby, identified as F, 30, R, 28, and A, 26. The team then detained the workers for questioning and secured the 70 logs, with diameters ranging from approximately 30 to 50 cm and lengths of 4 metres, from the location to be transported and held at the Forestry Law Enforcement Office for Region I in Palangkaraya.
The joint operations team also found several former circular saw sites that had already been dismantled around the Terantang and Tamiyangan Rivers. Along the Lantabu River route, the team discovered rail tracks used to transport logs from felling sites to the river for onward transport to processing locations. It is suspected that these locations are the source of the illegal timber raw materials that have been transported through the Mentaya River Basin.
Subsequently, the operations team handed over the three workers and the logs to investigators from the Forestry Law Enforcement Centre for further examination and handling. The unlicensed transport and processing of timber constitutes a criminal offence in the forestry sector as stipulated in Article 83 paragraph (1) letter a, Article 84 paragraph (1), and Article 98 paragraph (1) of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 18 of 2013 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, as amended by Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 6 of 2023 concerning the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation into Law.
Head of the Kalimantan Regional Forestry Law Enforcement Centre, Leonardo Gultom, stated that the enforcement action in the Mentaya River Basin is directed at breaking the pattern of timber circulation moving via river routes. “Mentaya is a waterway that has been used as a route for illicit timber. The discovery of 70 logs in a raft and the processing equipment is the starting point for tracing the origin of the timber and the parties operating behind the scenes. We are committed to following up on this case thoroughly so that similar incidents do not recur. We also appreciate the parties who have assisted, including the Central Kalimantan Provincial Forestry Service and the Central Kalimantan Police’s Special Criminal Investigation Directorate, who have synergised in efforts to eradicate the circulation of illegal forest products,” he concluded.