Timika, Jubi/Antara – Mimika Forestry Office, Syahrial is tracing the alleged smuggling of thousands cubic of timber logs from Paumako Seaport’s estuary by tugboat.
“I am now attending a meeting on the ground with the regent. I just got the information and will follow it up later,” he said from Timika last week.
It is said the authorities arrested the tugboat while trying to smuggle thousands cubic of timber logs from Pronggo, Mimika Barat Jauh Sub-district to outside of Papua.
For further investigation, the authorities detained the tugboat loaded with thousands of high quality and very expensive Papua’s Meranti and Merbau woods at international market off to Paumako Seaport’s estuary.
“The boat was anchored there since few days ago with thousands of timber logs inside. Rumor said the Indonesian Military authorities from Jakarta who detained it,” a ship businessman said at Paumako Seaport, Timika. The detention was the first time occurred in Papua since 2015.
Papua has a very extended area covering lots of its rivers flowing to remote areas and weak of control of authorities has become an opportunity for people smuggling the timber and other natural products to outside of Papua.
With lots of rivers flowing in remote areas and weak of control by authorities become lots of rivers flowing in remote areas and weak control area is very large
Papua region which is very spacious with lots of river flow conditions in remote areas and weak oversight of officers an opportunity for smugglers sailing out the timber and other local commodities to outside of Papua. (*/rom)
