Authorities in Indonesia recently arrested 21 Vietnamese nationals for alleged illegal logging in Aceh, Indonesia, according to the Jakarta Globe.
The suspected illegal loggers were found with gaharu wood in their possession. "Gaharu is a heartwood which grows as a large evergreen in certain regions of Southeast Asia," the Jakarta Globe wrote. The U.S. Forest Products Lab identifies the wood as being part of the Aquilaria genus, which is listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as "not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled."
A police chief in Aceh said he has "enough evidence" to charge six of those apprehended with illegal logging, while the other 15 could be charged for violating visas. Authorities were tipped to the illegal activity by locals who reported suspicious activity near Aceh's Leuser Mountain National Park.
