Police Investigate Involvement of Illegal Timber Smuggling Network in East Kalimantan

SAMARINDA - The Bontang Police are continuing to investigate the involvement of an illegal timber smuggling network in East Kalimantan after securing 401 pieces of bengkirai wood in Marangkayu District.

"We will take firm action against any practice of transporting forest products without valid documents, and this legal process is carried out professionally and transparently in accordance with Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction," said Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of Bontang Police AKPRandy Anugerah as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, February 21.

The disclosure of this case of criminal acts in the forestry sector began when the police were carrying out routine security patrols along the Bontang-Samarinda Road Kilometer 23, Santan Ulu Village, last week.

In the middle of the early morning monitoring activities, officers suspected a movement of a green Hino truck that was driving slowly with a full tarpaulin-covered load.

The police then took preventive action by stopping the heavy vehicle to carry out a series of standard checks on the completeness of the documents and luggage.

Once the back of the truck was opened, the patrol officers found a pile of hundreds of bengkirai wood blocks with various sizes neatly arranged inside without escort.

Officers immediately interrogated and asked the driver with the initials B to show official documents related to the legality of the activity of transporting natural commodities.

The driver, who claimed to be used to serving cross-provincial expedition services, then handed over a copy of the Certificate of Validity of Wood Forest Results (SKSHHK) and the Processed Wood List (DKO) to the inspector.

"However, after a more thorough investigation, the initial check results showed indications of a discrepancy between the physical load carried and the specific data listed in the country's documents," said Randy.

Based on the results of the police's preliminary examination, driver B insisted on only carrying out his job as a courier after receiving a transportation offer from a colleague with the initials AO.

The man who drove the truck admitted that he had received an order to transport the pile of forest products from a base in the Rukun Tetangga (RT) 1 Tasuk Village, Gunung Tabur District, Berau Regency.

The high-value commodities from East Kalimantan were brought to be delivered to the customer in Pati Regency, Central Java.

To the investigators, the driver also revealed that all the administrative completeness of the shipment was handed over directly by AP as the owner of the wood cutting place in Berau shortly before the vehicle departed.

The police are currently coordinating intensively with related forestry agencies to test the validity of documents to ensure there is no practice of falsifying road permits.

The police ensured that the investigation process would not stop at the arrest of the driver alone because officers were still tracing the entire supply chain for the delivery to hunt down the main mastermind involved.