Navy, police tie up on wood theft

In attempts to stop rampant illegal logging in Indonesia, the forestry ministry has signed a cooperation agreement with National Police and the Navy.

The three institutes formalized their shared operations in combating illegal logging during a meeting last week, Muhammad Prakosa, the minister of forestry and plantations, said after the meeting.

Under the arrangement, police have embarked on operation Wanalaga and the Indonesian Navy operation Wanabahari, which aims to monitor illegal logging.

Admiral Indroko Sastrowiryono, Indonesian navy staff chief, said it had impounded eight vessels from East Kalimantan when they were loading illegal logs to be smuggled to China, India and Singapore. --JP