Perpetrators Of Forest Addition In Bangka Belitung Threatened With 10 Years In Prison And A Fine Of IDR 5 Billion

Illustration of criminals (VOI)

PANGKALPINANG - Directorate General of Gakkum KLHK threatened the suspect H alias A (40), the perpetrator of the addition of the Bukit Mangkol Grand Forest Park (Tahura) Forest Area, Central Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands, for 10 years in prison and a fine of IDR 5 billion.

"Currently, the suspect has been detained at the Salemba Class I Detention Center in Jakarta," said Director of Criminal Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) Yazid Nurhuda as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, March 29.

He said perpetrator H alias A (40) was suspected of violating the norms Everyone is prohibited from working, using, and occupying forest areas illegally, as stipulated in Article 78 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (3) letter a of Law Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry as amended in Paragraph 4 Forestry Article 36 number 19 paragraph 78 paragraph (2) Jo Article 36 number 17 article 50 paragraph (2) letter a of Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation.

"The perpetrator of the addition of the Bukit Mangkol Tahura area which lives on Jalan Garut, Pasar Padi Village, Girimaya District, Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung, has now been named a suspect," he said.

He stated that this case originated from a public report that there was damage and/or additional new forest areas in the Bukit Mangkol Tahura Conservation Area.

Following up on the complaint, he said, the joint team consisting of Gakkum KLHK, Central Bangka Police, Simpang Katis Police, Central Bangka Regency DLH, and Bangka Belitung Province DLHK carried out forest security and installed warning signs at the land clearing location.

"The results of the joint team found traces of tree cutting activities at the location of Tahura Bukit Mangkol," he said.

According to him, based on the investigation conducted by the KLHK Investigative Team, where several witness statements and evidence found in the field were suspected that suspect H alias A (40) had damaged or added the Taura Bukit Mangkol Conservation Forest Area.

"Based on the results of the field inspection, it was found that the forest area had been opened in two locations," he said.