Govt to set up green crimes team

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim said on Friday an "untouchable" team of law enforcers would be established to handle crimes that damaged the environment, especially those involving illegal logging.

"The team, dubbed as Pool 12 because it will comprise 12 judges, 12 prosecutors and 12 police personnel, will have the authority to investigate all jurisdictions in the country," Nabiel told a media conference at his office.

He said the idea of establishing such a team was part of efforts to improve the legal system regarding environmental issues.

Illegal logging is the country's main environmental problem, which has also hurt the economy. Almost half of the 108.5 million hectares of forest have been destroyed within the last 30 years, the fastest rate of deforestation in the world.

The World Bank has said that Indonesia lost US$600 million a year from the illegal export of timber.

At Friday's conference environmentalists revealed that the illegal loggers had started to use violence against activists and journalists investigating the crime, with the police reportedly involved in the collusion.

Journalist and activist at environmental watchdog Wana Cipta Lestari in Central Kalimantan Abi Kusno survived a murder attempt on Nov. 28 last year, committed by several men allegedly related to local timber tycoon Abdul Rasyid, who is also a legislator at the People's Consultative Assembly.

Abi Kusno, who lost four fingers of his left hand and has at least 209 stitches on his back, had reported that PT Tanjung Lingga had been smuggling logs worth Rp 50 billion out of the province.

The smuggling was foiled by Navy personnel, who then handed the culprits over to the police, only to witness them being released later.