Ministry confiscates 17 containers of illegal timber in Surabaya

The Environment and Forestry Ministry (KLHK) confiscated 205.9 cubic meters of illegal timber stored in 17 shipping containers at Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, East Java Province, the ministry's law enforcement directorate general stated here, Saturday.

The illegal timber, comprising Amboyna wood (Pterocarpus indicus) and Ipil or Merbau (Intsia Spp), had been shipped from Seram Island, Maluku, the director general, Rasio Ridho Sani noted in a statement.

Related news: Three bosses of illegal timber named suspects by KLHK  

Before being transported to Surabaya, the illegal timber stock was shipped aboard a boat to Wahai Port in Central Maluku.

The logs allegedly originated from the Manusela National Park in Seram Island.

"We are investigating the timber owners and other perpetrators as well as the investors. All evidence, including the logs, containers, and documents, have been secured," the ministry's law enforcement sectoral office chairman, Jabalnusra Muhammad Nur, stated.

Before raiding the containers, the ministry had received an intelligence tip-off on the illegal timbers.

If the alleged illegal loggers were found guilty, they would face several sanctions in line with Law No. 41 of 1999 on Forestry and Law No.18 of 2013 on Prevention and Elimination of Deforestation.

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