Enviro News Asia, Medan — Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry has intensified efforts to combat illegal timber trafficking after a joint enforcement operation secured 219 timber logs lacking legal documentation in Humbang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra.
The operation was conducted by the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency (Gakkum) for the Sumatra Region in collaboration with Forest Management Unit (KPH) 13 Humbang Hasundutan at a sawmill operated by UD PJL in Aek Lung Village, Dolok Sanggul District.
During the inspection, officers discovered large quantities of timber logs without official barcodes or legal origin markings. The seized evidence consisted of 93 mixed tropical hardwood logs and 126 pine logs.
Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, said the operation was part of broader efforts to strengthen sustainable forest governance while ensuring fair competition within the forestry sector.
“Law enforcement serves as a safeguard for compliance, ensuring that timber circulating in the market has a clear and verifiable origin. These enforcement measures support better forest governance, provide business certainty, maintain a healthy investment climate, and protect law-abiding operators,” Januanto stated.
The operation follows a similar enforcement action carried out in Asahan Regency on 13 May 2026, where authorities confiscated 1,677 illegal timber logs.
According to officials, the inspection focused on verifying the physical condition of the timber, legal identification markers, and accompanying documentation. During the initial examination, the sawmill management was unable to present a valid Certificate of Legal Forest Product Transport (SKSHH), prompting authorities to secure the timber as evidence.
Officers immediately placed the site under supervision to prevent the logs from being moved and, together with KPH personnel, proceeded with counting and numbering the timber.
Investigators have also collected statements from workers, operational managers, and certified forestry technicians (Ganis PKB) responsible for timber verification. The Forestry Law Enforcement Agency is coordinating with the Sustainable Forest Management Agency (BPHL) to conduct detailed measurements and volume assessments to verify the exact quantity and species of the seized timber.
Head of the Sumatra Regional Forestry Law Enforcement Agency, Hari Novianto, emphasized that the investigation targets key industrial nodes within the timber supply chain to ensure traceability and legality.
“We are pursuing clarity regarding the origin of the timber and its distribution channels, including individuals or entities involved in facilitating the storage and circulation of timber without valid documentation,” Hari said.
The Ministry of Forestry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening oversight of the forest product supply chain from upstream production areas to downstream processing industries. Authorities stressed that illegal timber not only contributes to forest degradation and state losses but also undermines compliant businesses and disrupts fair market competition. (*)
