Kemenhut Hands Over Suspects of Illegal Logging in Solok, Seized 3 Heavy Equipment and 152 Logs

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) has handed over suspects in the illegal logging case in Solok Regency, West Sumatra, to the Solok District Attorney's Office after the investigation file was declared complete or P-21.

In this case, the state confiscated three units of heavy equipment and hundreds of logs suspected of originating from illegal logging activities.

The suspect with the initials BS alias BG (50) and the evidence were handed over by the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency for Sumatra Region. The evidence handed over consisted of three units of heavy equipment, 152 logs with a total volume of 237.53 cubic meters, as well as a number of documents related to the alleged harvesting of forest products in an unlicensed forest area.

This case is a follow-up to the Operation on Illegal Logging and Forest Product Circulation in Solok Regency which was carried out by the Regional Forestry Gakkum Office of Sumatra together with the West Sumatra Provincial Forestry Service and the PPNS Korwas of the West Sumatra Police in August 2025.

Investigators framed the suspect with Article 78 paragraph (6) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (2) letter c of Law Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry as amended by Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning Job Creation. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a fine of up to IDR 3.5 billion.

During the investigation process, the suspect had filed a pretrial lawsuit with the Koto Baru District Court, Solok, on October 27, 2025. However, all of his requests were rejected so that the legal process continued.

Head of the Forestry Office of the Sumatra Region, Hari Novianto, said that this case began with a report from the community and information circulating on social media regarding the alleged large-scale logging of trees in the Sariak Bayang area in July 2025.

The location is in the upstream water catchment area of the Batang Bayang River, Solok Regency, which borders the South Coast Regency. The area is considered to have an important function as a water absorption area and prone to flash floods.

"From the results of field inspections, it was found that there was logging of primary forests in the PHAT SD area and outside the PHAT SD which was APL. At the location outside the PHAT SD there were 5 TPK and the spread of hundreds of logs without barcodes. In addition, heavy equipment types Buldozer and Excavator were found to be suspected of being used to pull wood and make roads and logging roads. The area of logging outside the PHAT SD is as large as ± 83.31 Ha with a total of 11,299.81 M3 of logs transported from the LCH which should be 7,012.21 M3," said Hari Novianto in Jakarta, Sunday, August 2.

Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho emphasized that handling this case is not only aimed at punishing the perpetrators, but also preventing forest damage that can trigger disasters in West Sumatra.

"We appreciate all parties for their support in handling this case, especially the West Sumatra Regional Police and the West Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office because the success of revealing this case can be a gateway to inhibiting the rate of forest damage and reducing the risk of flash floods in the West Sumatra region. We hope that the perpetrators will be punished to the maximum so that they will be deterred and just," said Dwi Januanto.

The Ministry of Home Affairs stated that law enforcement against illegal logging would continue to be carried out, including dismantling the illegal timber distribution chain originating from forest areas and Other Land Use (APL).