Nearly 180 foreigners have been arrested for alleged involvement in illegal logging in Indonesia.
A further 74 forestry officials have also been detained, accused of being involved in illegal logging operations which cost Indonesia more than US$3bn a year.
Meanwhile, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has claimed that 300,000m3 of merbau hardwood is being smuggled out of Papua every month bound for China’s timber processing industry.
The EIA maintains that Indonesia military and civilian officials, Malaysian logging gangs and multi-national companies are all involved.
