Indonesian police have arrested 15 Malaysians for suspected involvement in illegal logging in Papua province, national police chief General Da'i Bachtiar said today.

"A case of illegal logging has been found in Papua and we have arrested 15 Malaysians allegedly involved in the unlawful activity," Bachtiar told a parliamentary commission hearing.

The police chief, quoted by the state Antara news agency, said police had launched operations against illegal logging not only in Papua province but also in the provinces of East, West and Central Kalimantan on Borneo island.

Greenpeace says Indonesia has the world's highest rate of forest loss and may see much of its lowland forest disappear by 2010. Its ship the Rainbow Warrior has been patrolling off Kalimantan to watch for vessels involved in the illegal logs trade.

Log vessel barred

Ina related development, Greenpeace today said it assisted the Indonesian navy to expel an illegal log vessel in Central Kalimantan.

"The Ha Tinh 06, owned by the Vitenamese government and registered in Haiphong, has been waiting in the Kumai Bay area for 10 days, but has been prevented from loading due to sustained Greenpeace presence," it said in a statement.

"Activists from Greenpeace led the Navi patrol to the site."

Greenpeace said that it had evidence that the vessel had attempted to illegally load squared logs on Feb 23, in contravention of Indonesia's ban on export of logs. - AFP