Throughout 2021, Riau Police Investigate 29 Illegal Logging Cases With 41 Perpetrators

JAKARTA - Riau Police during the period January-early November 2021 has uncovered 29 cases of illegal logging with 41 perpetrators of forestry crimes in Riau Province.

"As many as 41 perpetrators were arrested for being involved in encroachment whose wood came from the Giak Siak Kecil Wildlife Sanctuary (SM) and from Rimbang Baling SM, and Kerumutan SM," said Riau Police Chief Inspector General Pol Agung Setia Imam Efendi in his statement in Pekanbaru, Wednesday, November 17.

According to the Kapolda, law enforcement will continue to be carried out in collaboration with the KLHK, BKSDA, and other parties involved.

The Regional Police Chief said that securing these irresponsible parties is proof that the state is present and cannot lose to crime.

"Riau Police continue to advise the public that taking or cutting wood in forest areas is a crime that causes very serious environmental damage," he said as quoted by Antara.

Regarding saving Riau's forests, he said again, his party together with the Ministry of Environment, relevant stakeholders stated that they were consistent in exposing environmental crimes such as forest and land fires and illegal logging in order to protect and preserve the environment.

"This policy is also in line with President Joko Widodo's speech at the G20 Summit in La Nuvola Rome, Italy, that in the issue of climate change, Indonesia has a very important and strategic role as one of the owners of tropical forests and the largest mangrove forests in the world," he said.

Therefore, he said, it has become Indonesia's commitment to be part of the solution to the issue of climate change, protecting forests and nature from the hands of the mafia that destroys the environment.

Meanwhile, for the handling of the Karhutla case, the Regional Police and the ranks have so far handled 20 cases with 24 suspects.