Officials hail anti-illegal logging operation
Officials hail anti-illegal logging operation
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
A two-month joint operation against illegal logging in Papua has
ended with "satisfying" results, the National Police and the
Ministry of Forestry said on Friday.
The head of the operation, Comr. Gen. Ismerda Lebang, who also
heads the security and order department at the National Police,
said his team met its target by preventing Rp 2 trillion (US$210
million) in potential losses from timber theft. He also said 173
people had been named as suspects during the operation.
"The operation went as smoothly as we planned and there were
almost no obstacles, except for collecting evidence and witnesses
in isolated areas in Papua," he said.
The team, tasked with fighting illegal logging in Papua, began
operation Hutan Lestari (Sustainable Forest) on March 5 and
completed the operation on Thursday. The Rp 12 billion operation
involved the police, forestry officials, prosecutors and the
military.
Ismerda said the team confiscated 80,768 logs, 20,162 cubic
meters of processed timber, 850 pieces of heavy equipment, four
boats, 43 trucks, 13 barges, 14 tugboats, 46 chain saws and 298
other pieces of equipment.
The case files on at least 25 suspects have been submitted to
prosecutors and they will soon stand trial on charges of illegal
logging. The case files on the remaining 151 suspects are still
being completed.
The detained suspects include three middle-ranking Papua
Police officers -- Comr. Hariyanto, Adj. Comr. Sumadi and Comr.
Marthen Renau.
"We had better results than with previous operations. Most of
the suspects this time are financial backers, not just operators
or small-scale illegal loggers," Ismerda said.
"We are currently in the process of bringing the suspects to
court, including police officers and forestry officials," he
said.
The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency and the
Indonesian environmental group Telapak recently announced their
findings that illegal logging in Papua was backed or committed by
high-ranking Indonesian Military (TNI) officers, working with the
police and government officials.
However, the recent operation did not lead to the arrests of
any senior police or military officers.
The Attorney General's Office, the National Police and the TNI
are now setting up a team to coordinate the prosecution of
suspects from different backgrounds.
Minister of Forestry Malam Sambat Kaban said the team also
would sell the confiscated timber and heavy equipment, with the
money going to the state.
"We are planning to hold an open auction so that every
registered company can bid (for the seized goods). People
involved in illegal logging will not be allowed to take part in
the auction in order to prevent them from trying to buy back
their illegal timber," Kaban said without specifying the auction
date.
Although the joint operation has officially ended, the team
plans to set up a working group to discuss and review the
regulations on the issuance of logging licenses.
The working group will determine whether only forestry
agencies are authorized to issue logging licenses.
"We will publish the results of the discussion so the public,
especially forestry officials and law enforcers, can understand
the concept of the regulations and how to enforce them," Ismerda
said.