Police seize illegal logs in C. Lombok

Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara

The police have confiscated thousands of mahogany logs stolen from three protected forests in Central Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara, and pledged to thoroughly investigate the case.

According to the police's preliminary investigation, the felling of mahogany trees in the protected forests was conducted by the local forestry office, which justified it by apparently abusing a regental decree.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Dewa Putu Maningkajaya of the provincial police headquarters confirmed on Thursday that some of the confiscated logs had been sent to Mataram as evidence and that three officials of the forestry office in Central Lombok were being questioned.

"The police discovered that mahogany trees had been felled in protected forests, which is against Law No. 41/1999 on forestry. We will investigate the case thoroughly," he said at his office.

He said the police were questioning three officials of the regental forestry office as witnesses in the case.

He also regretted that live trees located near water sources were also cut down, threatening the environment and water supply to thousands living near the protected forests.

He said the police were investigating two offenses related to the case -- the felling of protected trees and abusing a regental decree.

"The regental decree allows only the felling of dead trees, but live trees were cut down instead," he said.

The Central Lombok regent issued Decree No. 48/2003 on April 1 regulating the planned establishment of a team to oversee the usage of confiscated timber and logs and dead trees felled in protected forests.

Out of the hundreds of cubic meters of logs taken from protected forests in Pondok Gedang, Talun Ambon Peseng and Lingkuk Lima, 50 cubic meters have been sent to the provincial police headquarters as evidence in the case.

Maningkajaya said the logs were confiscated in cooperation with the provincial administration.

He added that over the last two months, more than 350 cubic meters of mahogany logs had been traded on the local black market.

Mahogany logs, which cost Rp 1.2 million (US$146) per cubic meter on the local black market, are used to make carved furniture.

Chief of the forestry office in Central Lombok L. Aqil said that the logs were from dead trees in the protected forests and that his office had obtained permission from the regent to cut them down and sell them.