Illegal loggers grilled in Sorong

Illegal loggers grilled in Sorong

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: The local police in Sorong, Irian Jaya, said on Tuesday that they had summoned three officials of PT Dharma Mukti Persada who were suspected of being involved in illegal logging in the province.

The three suspects included a Malaysian citizen.

Sorong Police chief Faisal Abdul Nasser warned the suspects that they would be arrested if they ignored the summons three times.

Faisal said his office could not yet hand over the suspects to the local prosecutor's office as one of the suspects was still in Jakarta.

He added that the two other suspects, including the Malaysian national, were in Sorong.

The suspects were allegedly involved in illegal logging using a concession that had been issued to timber baron Waigeo, but which had expired on May 24, 2001.

Faisal said the police had also seized around 3,400 cubic meters of logs from the suspects. --Antara