Transporting Kayu Jati Using A Motorbike, Man In Tambakrejo Malang Allegedly Committing A Logging Arrested

Malang Resort Police arrested a man with the initials SA aged 29 years suspected of stealing teak wood in the forest area produced by Tambakrejo Village, Malang Regency, East Java (East Java).

Head of Public Relations of Malang Police, Iptu Ahmad Taufik, said that the perpetrator was caught red-handed transporting forest teak using a two-wheeled vehicle at around 03.00 WIB on Friday, May 10.

"We together with Perhutani managed to arrest a man who is suspected of being the perpetrator of forest teak logging," said Taufik in Kepanjen, Malang Regency, Sunday, May 12, which was confiscated by Antara.

Taufik explained that the perpetrator was arrested by a joint team from the Malang Police Investigation and Criminal Unit (Sateskrim), the Sumbermjing Wetan Sector Police (Polsek) and the Blitar Forest Management Unit (KPH).

According to him, the illegal logging that took place in Petak 68C, Tambakrejo Village, Sumbermjing Wetan District was considered disturbing. The police confiscated two teak logs that had been cut with a length of 210 centimeters and a diameter of 52 centimeters.

"In addition, we also confiscated a modified motorbike to transport teak wood. We confiscated it as evidence," he said.

He added that the disclosure of the theft of teak wood in the production forest area began with information from the public that said someone was transporting teak wood in a forest area using a motorbike.

Armed with this information, he continued, the Police officers together with Perhutani visited the location of the 68C plot forest area which was planted with many teak trees with the 1972 planting year at the Sumberkembang RPH.

"After obtaining strong information and evidence, we carried out an investigation as well as arrested SA along with a number of other evidence," he said.

In this case, there are two other actors who have different roles. The identities of the other two perpetrators have been pocketed by the police and have been assigned to the wanted list (DPO).

In addition to arresting the perpetrators, officers also found a large collapsed teak milestone with a diameter of more than 60 centimeters and a tree height of approximately eight meters.

The police suspect that the perpetrator cut the wood gradually and then was secretly transported at night to avoid officers. The perpetrators, he said, certainly do not have a permit to use the wood.

The suspect's actions violated Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning Stipulation of Government Regulations in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation which amended Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction.

"The perpetrator is threatened with a minimum prison sentence of one year and a maximum of five years," said Taufik.