Enviro News Asia, Ketapang — Forestry law enforcement officers intensified their investigation into an illegal logging case in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, by tracing the origin of illegally harvested timber and securing additional evidence.
The Forestry Law Enforcement Agency for the Kalimantan Region conducted the follow-up operation on Sunday morning after intercepting an illegal timber raft on the Pawan River earlier the same day. The operation led officers to logging and timber stockpile sites in Ulak Medang Village, Delta Pawan District.
The enforcement team discovered an estimated total of more than 1,500 mixed tropical hardwood logs scattered across land and waterways, along with logging equipment used in the illegal operation.
Head of the Kalimantan Regional Forestry Law Enforcement Office Leonardo Gultom stated that the operation demonstrated the agency’s commitment to dismantling the entire chain of forestry crimes. He said investigators immediately traced the upstream source of the timber based on preliminary information obtained during the earlier interception, aiming to identify not only transporters but also the main actors behind the illegal activity.
The operation relied on information provided by five individuals previously detained during the river interception. Officers reached the remote site by traveling for approximately one hour by motorized boat, followed by a two-kilometer trek on foot through forested terrain.
At the location, the team identified four timber stockpile points containing around 900 logs, four timber rafts comprising approximately 450 logs, and hundreds of logs still located at active felling sites. Officers also seized two chainsaws, fuel supplies, wooden carts used to transport logs to the river, and illegal infrastructure, including makeshift logging roads and two temporary work huts believed to belong to the loggers.
No suspects were found at the scene, as those involved were believed to have fled prior to the team’s arrival. Officers secured the area and all evidence for further investigation.
Field coordinates confirmed that the logging and stockpiling sites were located within the Sungai Sentap–Kancang Production Forest. The area is suspected to fall within a licensed concession held by PT MPK, a company operating in sustainable forest management in Ketapang Regency. Investigators are treating the presence of illegal logging activity within the concession area as a serious matter.
Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho said the operation reflected the government’s firm commitment to eradicating illegal logging and timber trafficking in West Kalimantan. He emphasized that authorities would continue law enforcement efforts to protect state forest assets and prevent destructive activities in both concession areas and state forests. (*)
