A Gang Of Kayu Jati Prisons In Madiun Arrested

MADIUN - Perum Perhutani of the Madiun Forest Transport Unit (KPH) together with the Madiun Police arrested the perpetrators of looting teak wood resulting from illegal logging in the Sampung Forest Housing Resort (RPH) area, BKPH Caruban, Madiun Regency, East Java.

North Madiun Deputy Administrator Rudi Hartono said the three perpetrators arrested were Hadi Nurohman (28), a resident of Babatan Dawuhan Hamlet, Tawangrejo Village, in Gemarang District.

Then Sukijan (35), a resident of Gondang Hamlet, Kebonagung Village, in Dejayan District, and Agus Edy Madiun Prasetyo (28) a resident of Babatan Dawuhan Hamlet, Tawangrejo Village in Gemarang District, Madiun Regency.

"In this joint operation, KPH Madiun and the local police arrested three suspected perpetrators along with a truck loaded with square teak wood and dozens of logs," said Rudi as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, November 20.

His party explained that the joint operation was a follow-up to the incident of the Handling of Unlicensed Trees (PPTI) that occurred earlier on Monday (17/11) night, where five teak trees around 85'105 centimeters which were teak plants in 1991 were illegally cut down in plots 53B, the RPH Sampung BKPH Caruban area.

Through a joint operation with Madiun Police officers, the Perhutani KPH Madiun team managed to surround a truck containing 43 logs of square teak and glondongan as well as three people who were unloading cargo in Bodang Hamlet, Kebonagung Village.

Then the joint team also went to the furniture company owned by a person suspected of being Nanik in Wonorejo Village. At that location, officers found 13 logs of glodongan teak with a diameter of 25'35 centimeters.

At that time the company showed evidence of the purchase of the wood, but the officers suspected that the wood was the result of theft from the forest area, which then all the wood was secured for further evidence and processing.

"In the whole operation, joint officers managed to secure a truck with police numbers AD-8373-MA, five motorbikes, and square teak wood and a total of 55 sticks," he said.

Perhutani emphasized that the joint operation was a form of seriousness in preserving the country's forests. Rapid coordination, pursuit in the field, and security of evidence show the strong synergy of Perhutani-Polri in fighting forestry crimes.

All suspects and evidence have been submitted to the Madiun Police for investigation in accordance with Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction.