The Banality of Deforestation: Illegal Timber Extraction and State-Endorsed Timber Laundering in Borneo

• In Event: Greenlaundering, Joint Crime Ventures and Environmental Harm

Abstract

Illegal timber extraction in Borneo has become a normalized practice despite its devastating ecological consequences. Current findings reveal a mapped network of timber laundering, identifying Central Borneo as the logistical and operational hub, while its political coordination is remotely managed from surrounding buffer regions. This research highlights how the distinction between state and non-state actors is increasingly obscured, enabling illegally harvested timber to seamlessly enter legal markets under implicit state endorsements. By tracing the flow of illicit timber and the regulatory loopholes that facilitate its trade, this study exposes the entanglement of political power and economic interests in sustaining deforestation. The findings underscore the failure of enforcement mechanisms and the persistence of a gray zone where environmental crimes remain unchecked, reinforcing the systemic cycle of ecological exploitation in Borneo.

Author

• Mariyam Jameelah, Utrecht University