Ministry Of Transportation: Mentawai's Sipora Forest Logging Loses Rp240 Billion To The State

Officers of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Gakkum together with the PKH Task Force secured illegal timber resulting from illegal logging in the Sipora Forest, Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra during a confiscation operation in Gresik, East Java/ANTARA/HO-Kemenhut

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) together with the Garuda Team's Forest Area Control Task Force (PKH) succeeded in uncovering the Mentawai Islands illegal logging case and confiscating 4,610.16 cubic meters of roundwood from the Sipora Forest which cost the state Rp240 billion.

Director of Forestry Crimes at the Directorate General of Public Relations Enforcement (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Rudianto Saragih Napitu, said that the confiscation was a follow-up to the joint field control operation on October 4 when the PKH Task Force and the Directorate General of Law and Law and Human Rights sealed the operation area and also controlled the production facilities at the Sipora HPT to stop illegal logging activities, followed by investigations by individual IM and PT BRN.

"PT BRN is strongly suspected of carrying out illegal logging in an organized manner in the Sipora Forests from 2022 to 2025, especially in the Tuapejat Village area and Betumonga Village with the mode of cutting wood outside the permit area, even entering the forest area and manipulating the Legal Certificate of Forest Products (SKSHH) document so that illegal timber can be seen as legal," said Rudianto as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, October 15.

During the operation, the Directorate General of Gakkum together with the PKH Task Force for the Garuda Team, the Attorney General's Office, the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), the Ministry of Transportation, the Indonesian National Army (TNI), and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) confiscated 4,610.16 cubic cubic logs from the Sipora Forest, Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra which were transported by the Jenebora I boat tent with the Kencana Sanjaya & B barge at Gresik Port, East Java.

Information from workers shows that three log shipments have been made to Surabaya with an accumulation of approximately 11.629.33 cubic meters, including those currently secured by the government.

The results of satellite image analysis and field verification show an impact area of around 597.35 hectares (ha). consisting of 7.79 ha roads in the production forest area and around 589.56 ha outside the approval of the Land Rights Holder (PHAT).

"We found this pattern repeatedly at several locations of PHAT (Rusmin I, Rusmin II, and Rusmin III) in Tuapejat. In addition to forestry law enforcement, we prepared the implementation of the Money Laundering Crime (TPPU) regime to close the illegal profit space and strengthen the deterrent effect for those who enjoy the main benefits," explained Rudi.

"We estimate indications of potential state losses due to illegal logging in the Sipora Forest to be around Rp. 240 billion, including the value of wood that has been cut down by around Rp. 42 billion and the damage to the accompanying ecosystem and environment," he added.

Meanwhile, Director General of Gakkum Kemenhut Dwi Januanto Nugroho stated that the steps to investigate cases in Mentawai and continue downstream in Gresik are state policies to close gaps in forest destruction from upstream to downstream.

"To close the illegal timber cover gap, the Ministry of Forestry has corrected policies by freezing a number of Kayu Utilization Approvals in the problematic Land Rights (PHAT) area and requiring strict verification of the rights base by the provincial forestry service. In the future, our supervision of PBPH holders and forestry business actors will be tightened based on tracking of raw materials and measurable compliance," he said.

He reminded that violations will be subject to layered sanctions, namely administrative, civil, revocation of permits, and criminal if the elements are met.

For cases of illegal logging in the Sipora Forest, the perpetrators are threatened with a maximum imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum fine of IDR 15 billion.