Six Illegal Logging Perpetrators In Kupang Arrested By NTT BBKSDA Officers

Illegal logging in the TWA Bipolo area, Kupang Regency/ Photo: ANTARA

A total of six suspected perpetrators of illegal logging in the Timau Mutistics Production Forest Area, which borders the TWA Bipolo area, Kupang Regency, were arrested by officers from the East Nusa Tenggara Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA).

"Six people were arrested after being caught cutting wood in a protected forest area," said Head of BBKSDA NTT Arief Mahmud, Sunday, February 23.

He said the six perpetrators had the initials BDS (24), YB (24), DY (31), SH (35), JSD and PP (24) years.

Arief said that the arrests were made after reports from the public regarding suspicious activities in the forest area.

He said that local residents reported because of the suspicious wooden truck in the TWA Bipolo Conservation Forest area and access to the production forest.

"The actions carried out by the perpetrators were carried out at night, when the activities of residents began to decrease," he said.

Receiving the report, the officers then carried out patrols, and found the activities of loading teak wood by the six perpetrators onto the truck. So that activities were immediately stopped, the perpetrators and evidence were secured.

He added that there was evidence that was also secured, including a truck containing 15 teak logs, 64 logs, and a gadget.

Based on the officer's report, said Arief, it was recorded that there were at least 27 arrears of teak trees in the field. From the distribution of roundwood and the position of arrears, it is suspected that there was wood that had been transported from the scene.