Tree Hundreds Of Years Of Illegal Development, Ministry Of Transportation Arrests Illegal Ulin Wood Sellers

The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) has named a suspect with the initials B in the case of buying and selling illegal ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri) in East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan.

"The disclosure of this case is the result of a collaboration between the Balai Gakkum Kehutanan Wilayah Kalimantan, Kutai National Park Center, and BPHL Region XI Samarinda," said Head of the Kalimantan Regional Law Enforcement Center Leonardo Gultom in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, August 13.

B was secured by the Kutai National Park Forestry Police on Thursday, August 7, after being suspected of being the owner of a processed wood buying and selling business without official documents.

The evidence that was secured included one pick-up car, two STNK sheets, 120 ironwood logs measuring 6x15 meters long, two cell phones, wood size notebooks, and proof of the transfer of wood sales worth a total of IDR 147.55 million.

The disclosure of this case began with a regional security patrol carried out by the Kutai National Park Office at SPTN Region I Sangatta. The team received public information about the alleged transport of processed wood and found a pick-up car on Jalan Poros Bontang-Agita.

When questioned, B could not show the valid documents of the origin of the wood. The suspect faces a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of up to IDR 2.5 billion.

Kayu Ulin, known as 'iron wood,' is one of the strongest and most durable types of wood in the world. The iron tree only grows in the forests of Kalimantan and takes hundreds of years to reach large sizes. Illegal felling is feared to threaten the sustainability of this tree.

"Jika populasinya habis, kita akan kehilangan warisan alam bernilai tinggi sekaligus mengganggu keseimbangan ekosistem hutan. Karena itu, penggunaan kayu ulin harus selalu disertai dokumen sah dan berasal dari sumber legal demi keberlanjutannya bagi generasi mendatang," ujar Leonardo.

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"If the population runs out, we will lose a high-value natural heritage while disrupting the balance of the forest ecosystem. Therefore, the use of ironwood must always be accompanied by valid documents and comes from legal sources for its sustainability for future generations," said Leonardo.