Nine trucks of illegal logs seized

PALU, Central Sulawesi: Four men, including a soldier, have been arrested for the illegal possession of 50 cubic meters of logs seized by police in the district of Tawaeli, North Palu, an officer said.

Comr. Yusman Jaya, chief of the economic office of the provincial police detective unit, told reporters on Thursday that the soldier, identified only by his initials WD, had acted as the patron. He did not identify the three civilians.

He said the seized logs, including ebony, would be sent to saw mills located around Palu.

Many areas in Central Sulawesi, including the west and east coast in the Donggala regency, are used as terminals for illegal logs which are then smuggled into other areas, including neighboring countries Malaysia and the Philippines, Yusman said.

"The smugglers prefer shipping the logs to transporting them by trucks. Unfortunately we, Central Sulawesi Police, do not have adequate speed boats to curb the smuggling," Yusman added. (24/sur)