Illegal loggers lured by big profits

Illegal loggers lured by big profits

Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda

A wooden vessel maneuvered to dock at a pier on Mahakam Ulu
River, Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan, the sound of
its whistle wailing far and wide. Behind it, the vessel was
pulling hundreds of logs that covered most of the 75-meter-wide
river.

As soon as the vessel -- unnamed but flying the national Red-
and-White flag -- moored, captain Hidayat, 41, and four crew
members became engaged in negotiations with several timber
dealers who had been waiting for them since morning. After
bargaining heatedly, an agreement was reached and the logs
changed hands.

The initial offer was for Rp 30 million per 125 cubic meters
of assorted timber logs; the final price was Rp 50 million.
Concluding the transaction, Hidayat and his crew promised to
return to the same site with new logs, depending on the water
level in the river.

The Jakarta Post observed this transaction as it was taking
place on the Mahakam Ulu in Sebulu, Kutai Kartanegara. The logs
are illegal and are sold by locals to timber dealers from
Samarinda and other East Kalimantan cities.

The illegal timber trade has been going on for the past few
years. The logs come from trees felled by locals in forests
stretching from the hinterland of Mahakam, Kutai Kartanegara, to
West Kutai. The frequency of the illegal transactions depend on
the level of water in the river: If it is high enough for log
barges to pass, transactions can take place once a week;
otherwise, they may be delayed up to a fortnight.

The transaction sites vary, but Sebulu is considered the
safest because the local police have been bought. "We need to act
cautiously only if we've received a police tip that headquarters
will conduct an inspection," said one crew member.

Sebulu is only about 80 km -- or half an hour's drive -- from
Samarinda. Parts of the road are paved and smooth, but most of it
is in bad repair, and trucks carrying timber stand idle along its
length, waiting for buyers. The trucks transport the timber to
several cities, including Samarinda and Tenggarong, the capital
of Kutai Kartanegara.

A transaction site is typically in a strategic location --
that is, in a relatively deserted area so a timber dealer can
process the logs on the spot into ready-to-sell beams. Locals
rent chain saws at Rp 125,000 per cubic meter of timber.

In other cases, dealers rely on river transportation to carry
the logs to timber mills along the Mahakam River. After the logs
have been processed into ready-to-sell timber, they are
transported overland.

Wahyudin (not his real name), 31, a timber dealer, said the
illegal timber trade was highly profitable, although it carried a
big risk with it. He makes a large profit and does not need to
bother with the complicated process of obtaining a license; the
risk is that he must be on his guard, ready to deal with the
police at any time.

However, he said, it was very unlikely that he would have to
deal with authorities: Bribery is the magic word. One police
station receives Rp 5,000 for each timber truck that passes
through their jurisdiction. In addition, he has ready money for
policemen that make impromptu inspection along the way.

Wahyudin makes Rp 40 million in profit from every 125 meter
cubic of timber he purchases.

"But remember, we must also prepare some money -- it may be
tens of millions of rupiah -- to bribe the police just in case we
get arrested," he said.

"Well, it often happens that we play cat and mouse with the
police, quickly hiding our timber, especially now that the
central government has ordered that illegal loggers and those
involved in the illegal logging business must be arrested. We
feel that we are being watched," he added.