Indonesia: Illegal log seizure in Aceh turns into gun fight with Nagan Raya Police

Nagan Raya Police were involved in a gunfight Friday with a group
allegedly involved in illegal logging, in the Rambong forest in
Beutong, Nagan Raya district, in Aceh. The 15-minute shoot-out began
while police were patrolling the area for signs of illegal loggers. No
casualties were reported. “They shot at us as we were recovering
illegally felled logs in the forest,” Nagan Raya Police chief Adj. Sr.
Comr. Ari Subijanto said.

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The deforestation rate in Aceh has reached troubling highs recently
due to illegal logging, with at least 20,796 hectares of forest
cleared each year. “They managed to flee deep into the forest, so we
couldn’t identify which organizations they belonged to,” he said.

He also said the operation against illegal loggers was launched in
response to rampant log thefts in the forest. At least 200 security
personnel from the police and the military remain on guard at the site
where the shoot-out occurred.

Despite not being able to identify the gunmen, Ari said some of them were probably former rebels who had retained their weapons. “We will not let them to escape freely. We’ll continue hunting them down,” he promised.

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