Wood smuggling rampant in C. Java

SEMARANG, Central Java: Over 250,000 cubic meters of illegal timber has been smuggled into Central Java in the first half of this year.

The head of the province's forestry office, Yaman Mulyana, said that 253,007 cubic meters had been smuggled in without papers. He said the wood came from illegal logging in Kalimantan, which the government is struggling to prevent.

"To this day the illegal logging persists," he said.

Yaman nevertheless pledged that the government would continue to crack down on illegal timber logging and smuggling. (har/mds)