Police arrest 30 illegal loggers

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.