Enviro News Asia, Surabaya — Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry and the Indonesian Navy have seized 23 containers carrying merbau timber shipped from Nabire, Central Papua, after investigators found suspected forged legal documents in seven of the containers, raising concerns over possible timber laundering.
The containers were secured upon arrival in Surabaya as part of a joint operation. Authorities are still examining the remaining 16 containers to verify the timber’s origin and the validity of their accompanying documents.
Forestry Law Enforcement Director General Dwi Januanto Nugroho said combating forestry crimes was essential not only to protecting forest resources but also to safeguarding national economic interests, ensuring legal certainty and strengthening forest governance.
“Timber laundering is not merely a matter of document forgery. It is an attempt to introduce proceeds of forestry crimes into legitimate trade,” Dwi said. He warned that the practice threatens forest sustainability, could reduce state revenue, undermine fair business competition and disrupt a healthy investment climate.
He added that law enforcement should provide certainty for compliant businesses while closing opportunities for illegal activities. Investigations should also help authorities evaluate policies, strengthen oversight and improve forestry governance.
Dwi praised the cooperation between the Forestry Ministry, the Indonesian Navy and the National Police.
Commander of Naval Regional Command V, Rear Adm. Ali Triswanto, said protecting natural resources was part of Indonesia’s strategic national interests.
“Safeguarding Indonesian waters is not only about defending territorial boundaries, but also ensuring that the nation’s natural wealth is not lost through illegal activities,” Ali said.
He described the seizure as part of the Navy’s contribution to national defence and resilience, adding that cooperation with the Forestry Ministry would continue to prevent illegal forest products from entering inter-island distribution networks.
The case originated from an operation conducted on Oct. 14 by the Forestry Ministry’s Maluku and Papua Law Enforcement Office, Central Papua Police and Indonesian Navy personnel in Nabire. The team inspected two locations associated with timber processing and shipments, identified as CV PP and UD KM2.
Investigators found sawn merbau timber and information indicating that timber shipments were being sent to Surabaya. Further tracing led authorities to 23 containers transported by sea.
In Surabaya, Naval Regional Command V and the Forestry Ministry’s Law Enforcement Office for Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara secured the containers for further examination.
Investigators in Nabire also identified irregularities in timber administration procedures. The suspected loading location differed from the location stated in the Legal Certificate of Processed Timber Products (SKSHH-KO).
Other findings included raw timber without supporting legality documents, suspected measurements conducted by personnel without the required technical authority, and the use of scanned signatures on transport documents.
Authorities have identified the recipients of 13 containers, while the recipients of the remaining 10 are still being traced. Investigators are examining the links among raw material suppliers, processors, shippers and recipients to establish the roles and potential legal responsibilities of each party.
The Forestry Ministry said preliminary information provided sufficient grounds to advance the suspected forestry crime to the investigation stage. Authorities will now focus on gathering admissible evidence and examining the involvement of parties connected to timber processing and transportation.
Aswin Bangun, head of the Forestry Ministry’s Law Enforcement Office for Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, said investigators were seeking to uncover the alleged misuse of legality documents and identify those involved in the timber distribution chain.
The forged documents found in seven containers would serve as an entry point for examining possible attempts to disguise the timber’s origin, he said.
“We are still tracing the links between raw material sources, processing activities, transport documents, recipients and beneficiaries,” Aswin said.
He added that cooperation with the Navy, police and forestry law enforcement teams across regions would be strengthened to develop the case and ensure that anyone proven to be involved faces legal accountability.
The Forestry Ministry said protecting Papua’s forests remained part of Indonesia’s commitment to conserving its natural resources. Forests provide industrial raw materials but also sustain local communities, support biodiversity and maintain environmental balance.
The ministry said consistent law enforcement and sustainable forest management were necessary to ensure that Indonesia’s natural resources remained protected and benefited communities and future generations. (*)
