Dumai Police Arrest 2 Illegal Logging Perpetrators, Excavator Seized

Dumai - The Dumai Police, Riau, have secured two perpetrators of encroachment on natural conservation forests in Tanjung Palas Village, East Dumai District, who were caught clearing land using one unit of heavy equipment type excavator.

Head of the Dumai Police, AKBP Angga Febrian Herlambang, explained that this disclosure began with information that there was illegal logging activity in the natural conservation area. Then the team was brought down to the location and found that SU was clearing the land with heavy equipment, Tuesday (10/2).

"The modus operandi in carrying out the action is that SU as the operator of heavy equipment and SR as the owner of the land cleared the land with heavy equipment in one of the natural resource conservation areas in Dumai City," said the Police Chief at a press conference in Dumai, Thursday.

Meanwhile, he continued, the motive of the perpetrator who did not have legal documents on this basis was to penetrate the forest by making ditches or canals and roads. This was done to be used as a plantation for oil palm.

"At the location, an area that has been cleaned using a machine saw or chainsaw and the land has been leveled using heavy equipment," he said.

The two perpetrators will be charged with Law Number 32 of 2024 concerning the conservation of biological natural resources and ecosystems with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Angga Police Chief appealed to the entire community not to open land in conservation forests, not to accept or work on jobs that are clearly within the forest area without legality.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of Dumai Police, AKP Agung Rama, added that any form of land opening, whether by heavy equipment or manual means, without a valid permit in a conservation area is a criminal act.

"For the estimation of potential state losses, a calculation is being carried out. This law enforcement is a form of our commitment in maintaining environmental sustainability and preventing damage that impacts the ecosystem, flooding, and losses to the wider community," said AKP Agung.