Indonesian Police Stop Illegal Logging Operation

West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Nov. 18, 2011 -- The National Police special crimes unit says it has disrupted an illegal logging syndicate.

Police say the operation, under way since Monday, has resulted in the seizure of thousands of mahang hardwood logs.

Mahang is a species that tends to colonize logged areas. It is used by local residents for temporary structures that are not in direct contact with the ground, as well as for interior moldings. For export it is usually combined with other timber pulp to make particleboard and plywood.