Java: Hunting down illegal loggers who are targeting teak forests in Lumajang
East Java Police are hunting down members of an illegal logging syndicate who have been targeting teak forests in Lumajang. The crime has caused the state to suffer billions of rupiah in losses. These illegal logging practice in Lumajang have been taking place for years. The stolen logs being sold to furniture producers in Pasuruan.
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Widespread illegal logging activities, according to data from the
Lumajang regency administration, have led to the disappearance of up
to 116 out of 480 water sources in the regency, due to environmental
damage. An officer of the local detection and crime unit, Adj. Sr.
Comr. I Nyoman Komin, said that the police had so far arrested one
illegal logging gang boss identified only by his initials (SHS) and
one of his employees, (WH), on March 6, 2009.
The two have been named suspects, and detained under Article 50 Paragraph 3 of Law No. 41/1999 on forestry, Nyoman said, under which the two faced imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rp 5 billion. When the employee was arrested he was about to transport 15 logs worth Rp 600 million (US$50,000) by 14 trucks, he said. “SHS (the boss) has admitted to have acted as the buyer of the stolen logs.
He has been doing this since 2006, making billions of rupiah from criminal activities,” Nyoman said on Friday. Nyoman said that the police confiscated the trucks used to transport the stolen logs as well as two large chainsaws and two hand chainsaws, all retained as evidence.
“The police are also hunting down other members of the illegal logging
syndicate in Lumajang, possibly involving other big bosses,” he said.
According to I Nyoman, SHS admitted he and other syndicate members
illegally felled trees in forest areas in Payun Kelopo, Watu Gedhek
and Romo Pandan. Sometimes they also stole logs from Pasuruan and
Malang, he said.
I would be very interested to know how much illegal teak is entering the furniture supply chain. Companies I have talked to always say – “don’t worry, it is from plantations run by Perum Perhutani”, but I know this is not always true.
I take it that these stolen logs are coming from the native teak forests rather than the teak plantations. Sad that there is such a market for illegal teak when plantation wood is available.