Timber smuggling uncovered

SURABAYA: The authorities are investigating a report that a company smuggled 6,000 cubic meters of timber out of Tanjungperak port here and sent it to Singapore.

Spokesman for the state-owned forestry company, Perhutani, Marsanto said that the smugglers had forged documents to get the timber out of storage.

He identified the smuggler as PT RKM, which he suspects collaborated with Perhutani officials to obtain the export documents. He declined to give the value of the timber.

Marsanto said that PT RKM was assigned by Perhutani to send the timber to an address in Riau.

The authorities moved to investigate the case after the Riau company complained it had not received its order as scheduled. (pan)