Illegal timber confiscated

Illegal timber confiscated

JAKARTA (JP): A team for forest supervision has confiscated 5,000 cubic meters of illegal timber from South Sumatra.

The team also confiscated on Thursday 18 ships which carried timber without valid documentation, City Military Spokesman Lt. Col. Didi Supandi said recently in a press release made available to The Jakarta Post.

Twelve of the ships entered the capital through the Kali Baru timber port, five through Sunda Kelapa harbor and two through Tanjung Priok harbor, all in North Jakarta.

The team, the members of which are city officials, military personnel, police, coast guards and forestry office staffers, was officially established by Governor Surjadi Soedirdja on Tuesday.

Jakarta is one of the main destinations of illegal timber from Sumatra.

The city administration suffered a loss of Rp 500 billion in taxes due to illegal sales of timber last year.

Chief of the team, Col. Prabowo Suharto said that the confiscated timber is being kept at the Tanah Merah terminal in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

"The smugglers will be sent to court," he said. He did not disclose the number of smugglers. (29)