T

he Mount Leuser National Park (TNGL) center reported that illegal logging was still being carried out in the park, following the arrest of two illegal loggers who were felling trees in Bahorok, Langkat regency, North Sumatra, on Tuesday.

The two suspects have been identified as Agus Tinowan, 29, and Hasan Basri, 32, both of Timbang Jaya, Bukit Lawang.

TNGL center head Andi Basrul said the two suspects were caught red-handed as they were cutting timber using chain saws in Batu Lintang, Bahorok. Andi added that both of them were currently being questioned by authorities.

'€œWe are still building the case to uncover the illegal logging syndicate still operating in TNGL,'€ Andi said Tuesday.

Andi said illegal logging in TNGL, rampant over the past few years, was done with backing from Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers.

Andi added that the soldiers disguised as civilians when operating. He said the soldiers also oversaw the illegal logging activities in the forest, from felling trees to transporting timber to various places.

'€œIt is difficult to catch them if they'€™re not caught red-handed,'€ said Andi. The TNGL center recently managed to catch a marine involved in illegal logging in TNGL.

The marine, ranked chief private, was arrested together with civilians as the group was about to haul timber from inside the Leuser protected forest in the Sekoci resort block in Besitang district, Langkat, in March.

The arrest of the officer at one point drew the attention of his colleagues at the marines unit in
Pangkalan Brandan, Langkat. They convened at the TNGL office in Medan and demanded his release.

The TNGL center said it had arrested four Army and Navy members involved in illegal logging in the national park in the past year.

Andi said his center, together with the police, was conducting further operations to bust illegal logging in TNGL. He added that the operations were currently focused in Southeast Aceh and South Aceh.

'€œAlmost all the areas in TNGL in North Sumatra and Aceh face rampant illegal logging. But, for the time being, we are focusing on Southeast Aceh and South Aceh as the forests in both areas are the most prone to illegal logging,'€ said Andi, adding that his center had forged a cooperation with the Aceh Police and North Sumatra Police to overcome illegal logging.

North Sumatra Police chief spokesman Sr. Comr. Helfi Assegaf said the North Sumatra Police headquarters and the entire force in the province were very firm against offenders. He added the police had so far caught many illegal loggers in Langkat, North Tapanuli, South Tapanuli and Deli Serdang regencies.

'€œWe are committed to taking firm action against illegal loggers. We don'€™t tolerate anyone, even if they are security personnel. If they are involved, we will arrest them,'€ Helfi said separately on Tuesday.

He added that the police were not working alone to eradicate illegal logging. According to him, the police were joining forces with relevant agencies, including the TNI, in every illegal logging operation in North Sumatra.

Earlier, Bukit Barisan Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Edy Rahmayadi expressed his commitment to stamping out illegal logging. He pointed out that he would take firm action against any of his men involved in illegal logging.

Damaging activities and the illegal hunting of wild animals in TNGL has continued threatening the biggest conservation area in northern Sumatra.

Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Program (WCSIP) data showed that 230,000 hectares of the park'€™s total 1,095,592 ha had been damaged.

At the same time, the population of rare animals, such as the Sumatran tiger, rhinoceroses, elephants and orangutans, in the park has continued to decrease in the last 20 years.

The WCSIP said recently that the decrease in the population of the animals was in accordance with the increase in forest damage in the national park.

Illustrating the problem, the WCSIP said that while in the 1980s the number of rhinos was 60, it was currently only 20 to 30. The population of the Sumatran tiger, similarly, had decreased from 150 in the 1990s to 100 presently.