Police arrest 30 illegal loggers

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police have arrested another 30 suspected illegal loggers in Kalimantan, an island adjacent to Malaysia, and seized almost 30,000 cubic meters of logs during an operation conducted from Feb. 19 to Feb. 28.

National Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko said on Tuesday that police had also confiscated 18 live bullets, 10 guns, 12 speedboats, and six chainsaws.

"We've been working together with the West Kalimantan police and forest rangers to curb illegal logging that is rampant in the area," he said.

The operation, the first phase of the Wanalaga I Operation for this year, included raids of several locations, such as Mount Palung, the Sambas river, the Bayas river, Melano bay, and Pontianak, all in West Kalimantan.

"With so many locations to observe, police will conduct more operations and mobilize forest rangers, helicopters, and speedboats," Soenarko said.

He added that the police would form a joint team, comprising of around 300 task force personnel with local police and forest rangers in Kalimantan.

Soenarko said that the seized logs -- 11,616 logs amounting to 29,686,03 cubic meters in total -- would likely be taken to several areas across the country, including Jakarta, Cirebon in West Java, and Semarang in Central Java.

"Nevertheless, this doesn't rule out the possibility that the logs were also to be smuggled into Malaysia," he asserted.

Indonesia and Malaysia have been shifting blame for the logs allegedly smuggled into Malaysia. Indonesia has been pressing Malaysia to take firm action against the traders of illegal logs there.

The police arrested 15 Malaysians for illegal logging in Papua last January, and confiscated more than 10,000 merbau logs. Also in January, naval officers intercepted two Indonesian ships carrying 1,268 illegal logs.

Concerning the allegation that police officers were taking part in illegal logging, Soenarko said that the police had not found any evidence of that.

"But we do affirm that in handling such a transnational crime, should there be proof of police involvement the police will not tolerate it," he said.

Illegal logging has been rampant in the country, taking place on huge islands such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua.

According to the Ministry of Forestry, illegal logging cost the country some Rp 355.8 billion (US$41.8 million) in 2002 and 2003. It also contributes to the annual deforestation of some 40 million cubic meters.