Gakkum KLHK Sulawesi Sets Suspects For Illegal Land Donatures

MAKASSAR - The Center for Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement, Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Gakkum KLHK) Sulawesi Region named a suspect with the initials AB (49) a resident of East Luwu.

The suspect is a donor in the case of clearing illegal land in the Faruhumpenai Nature Reserve conservation forest area, East Luwu Regency.

"As a result of this act, suspect AB was threatened with 10 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 7.5 billion," he said.

Head of the LHK Security and Law Enforcement Center for the Sulawesi Region, Aswin Bangun, reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 10,

This case started with a community complaint saying that there was heavy equipment (excavator) that was clearing the land to be used as a garden in the Faruhumpenai Nature Reserve area in Palauru Hamlet/Pumpanai Village, Wasuponda District, East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi Province.

From this information, Balai Gakkum Sulawesi formed a joint joint operation team with Sub Den Pom XIV/1-3 Palopo to take action against forest security and protection in East Luwu Regency.

The operation team found an orange Merk Hitachi excavator unit in the Faruhumpenai Nature Reserve area which was allegedly used to open and cultivate land into a garden to plant palm oil, so the operating team secured the heavy equipment and found out who owned the land and its owners.

From the results of the search and investigation, the Team obtained data and information that brother AB (49) as the owner of the land/modal, the modus operandi of the perpetrator was to buy land located in a protected forest area and nature reserve on behalf of the community.

Then opened by using the excavator to add his existing garden of about five hectares in the area.

After examining witnesses and other evidence, investigators named brother AB (49) as a suspect and the perpetrator was detained at the Tipitan Detention Center of the South Sulawesi Police for further investigation.

Investigators from the Balai Gakkum KLHK Sulawesi Region suspect that forestry crimes have occurred in the form of working, and/or using and/or illegally occupying forest areas as referred to in Article 78 paragraph (3) in conjunction with 50 paragraph (2) letter a Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry which has been amended in Article 36 number 17 and number 19 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 6 of 2023 concerning Stipulation of Government Regulations in Lieu of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation into Law and or any person is prohibited from carrying out activities that can result in changes to the integrity of natural asylum areas.

As referred to in Article 40(1) in conjunction with Article 19(1) of Law Number 5 of 1999 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, with a maximum penalty of 10 years and/or a maximum fine of IDR 7,500,000,000 (seven billion five hundred thousand rupiah).