Two schooners captured for illegally hauling lumber
Two schooners captured for illegally hauling lumber
JAKARTA (JP): The City Police Coast Guard (Satpol Air) has
captured two schooners, one illegally loaded with over 400 cubic
meters of lumber from Sumatra and another small boat packed with
ceramic vases smuggled from Singapore.
The total price of the sawn timber is estimated at over Rp 50
million (US$22,880) and the ceramics around Rp 2 million, based
on local market values.
The head of the Coast Guard, Lt. Col. Elizar Harris Allagan,
told reporters at the Satpol Air Headquarters in the Tanjung
Priok port, North Jakarta, yesterday that the two schooners were
arrested separately around 10 p.m. on Thursday near Damar Island,
located 10 miles north of the headquarters.
"The captain of one of the sailboats failed to produce legal
permit for carrying the 250 cubic meters of sawn timber, while
the load on the other ship exceeded its 100-cubic meter legal
capacity," said Allagan.
The two schooners, the Hotel Sinjai II and Rian Fitrana, their
15 crew members and material evidence are currently being held at
the Satpol Air headquarters.
Captains of both boats are now in police custody for
questioning.
"We're still investigating the case and looking for the owner
of the boats," Allagan said.
The sawn timber, locally known as Tarentang wood, is used
primarily in the beginning phases of building construction, and
is usually sold at Rp 200,000 per meter cubic at Kalibaru in
Cilincing, North Jakarta.
A crew member of the Hotel Sinjai II admitted that they
brought the lumber from Sungai Lumpur district in Palembang,
South Sumatra.
"I've been sailing with such commodities for the last 10 years
and have been found out by the police only this time," said crew
Hasan Basri.
"Each of us here was paid Rp 100,000 per month by the owner of
the boat who lives in Bone, South Sulawesi," Hasan said.
Ceramics
On Monday, members of the Coast Guard arrested the crew of an
Indonesian cargo ship and a businessman caught smuggling goods
during a routine night patrol in Tanjung Priok.
Bayu, an engineer for Takari II, owned by PT Angkutan Tambang,
is believed to have smuggled and sold 60 boxes of ceramics to
local businessman Rudy Rismanto.
During police questioning, Bayu confessed that he bought the
ceramics during a brief transit in Singapore.
As one of the main national gateways, Tanjung Priok waters are
a promising place for smugglers of various goods and merchandise,
including electronics, garlic and alcoholic beverages.
"Although we only have a small number of old speedboats, we're
sometimes supported by local people who lend their faster speed
boats to our operation," Allagan said.
In order to meet the needs of the Coast Guard, City Police
Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto has planned to provide more
modern and faster boats in the near future, he said.
"If not, we'll be the ones chased by the smugglers," Allagan
said. (bsr)