On the 16 September another illegal logging operation was broken in the Tamiang District of Aceh.
District policeman standing near the confiscated logs
In the last year BPKEL in cooperation with local police and local NGOs has initiated some 30 operations against illegal logging. Some of these have been against large scale logging and have resulted in the closure of all saw mills in the district and a significant reduction in the most visible aspects of illegal logging.
But the illegal loggers have to some extent adjusted and are now operating through smaller (and albeit slower) methods to extract logs illegal from the forests of the Leuser Ecosystem. In fighting this battle BPKEL has taken on a zero tolerance approach and even stopping small scale actions is considered necessary.
On the 16 September the local police having been tipped off by BPKEL's community based information network intercepted and confiscated a large truck carrying some 40 logs which originated from inside Leuser. The “owners” of the logs (two men) were arrested along with the driver of the truck. Unfortunately the owner of the truck has not yet been detained but a warrant for his arrest has been made and the police hope to catch him in the near future.
The size and quality of the truck indicate that there is still significant funding behind the illegal logging in Tamiang, and for this reason it is important to follow up the chain as far as possible so as to eventually catch the major actors. Only in this way will the traffic in logs be stopped.
Team of police, BPKEL, and local NGOs pose with illegal logs near the local police station
BPKEL and its community informants continue to monitor the situation in the field - day and night.
Intercoller truck used for transporting the illegal logs.
