Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – North Lampung police arrested five suspects for illegal logging during major patrol for the past week, said Aris Satrio, the police’s spokesperson adding that the bust was made based on a report from local people as they were worried on floods resulted from Wayrarem dam.
The suspects are Karyanti, Sugimin, Gimin, Jamaludin, and Jasiman. “They said that they had been cutting down trees since early January because they wanted the money from selling its woods,” said Satrio.
The police had confiscated one unit car of red Toyota Hyno filled with logged trees, one unit of chainsaw, and three machetes.
He said suspects were illegally cutting down trees at Way Pengubun forest area not far from Wayrarem dam of North Lampung which then brought by trucks. “Those teak woods will be sold openly in the road for people who wants to buy them,” he said adding that they would have sold it for Rp 1 million (US$ 80). “The price can go lower according to the transaction.”
Furthermore, he said that this was purely their initiative though they also suspected other groups for illegal logging. “Investigators are still developing the case,” he said. Eni Muslihah