Indonesia Ministry of Forestry uncovers timber laundering in Papua

The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, in collaboration with the Navy, has uncovered an alleged timber laundering scheme involving Merbau wood from Nabire, Central Papua. Authorities intercepted 23 containers in Surabaya, seven of which were found to be using forged documents.

Investigations into the remaining 16 containers are ongoing to verify their origin and the legality of their transport documents. Dwi Januanto Nugroho, Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, stated that timber laundering is an attempt to integrate forest crimes into legitimate trade chains, which threatens forest sustainability, reduces state revenue, and undermines fair competition.

The operation began following joint inspections by the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency for Maluku and Papua, the Central Papua Regional Police, and the Navy at two processing sites in Nabire: CV PP and UD KM2. Investigators discovered administrative discrepancies, including loading locations that did not match official certificates, the use of scanned signatures on transport documents, and wood materials lacking legal documentation.