Bareskrim Polri Explores Illegal Practices Of Logging In Hulu Sungai Tamiang And Garoga

Akes landslides can be passed after the flash floods at the Aceh Sumatra border (doc BNPB)

The Directorate of Certain Crimes (Dirtipidter) of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police continues to investigate allegations of illegal logging practices allegedly related to the findings of logs and damage in the Garoga and Tamiang rivers.

Dirtipidter Bareskrim Brigadier General Mohammad Irhamni said that a number of investigation steps had been carried out at the location. He said the examination of the village head and witnesses had taken place.

"The examination of village heads and witnesses has been carried out," he said in a written statement, Monday, December 8, 2025.

In addition, a post has also been established about three kilometers from the scene at the Garoga watershed. From the area, the team took 27 samples of wood, installed police lines, and checked two bridges around the location.

All wood evidence has been sorted, set aside, and categorized by experts. The types of wood that are dominant in locations include rubber, ketapang, and durian," he explained

According to him, further identification shows that the wood found came from several categories, such as saw wood, wood that was removed along with the roots using heavy equipment, wood due to landslides, and wood that allegedly came from transportation activities using loaders.

Irhamni revealed that there was initial information regarding illegal logging and land clearing activities by the community upstream of Sungai Tamiang.

In the practice of panglong, wood is usually cut, stacked on the banks of the river, then anchored when the water discharge rises.

"Initial information, upstream of the Tamiang River, there are illegal logging and land clearing activities by the community. The mechanism of panglong is cut wood, stacked on the banks, then washed when the water rises like a raft. At land clearing, large wood is often cut small so that it is easy to get carried away during floods," he said.

Furthermore, Bareskrim will continue its investigation by examining one of the companies upstream of the Garoga River which is indicated to carry out land clearing activities, namely PT TBS.

"Tomorrow, the investigation activities by the team will continue with the inspection of one of the companies upstream of the Garoga river, which indicates that there is a land clearing activity by the PT FFB company," he added.

In addition, said Irhamni, the West Sumatra team is scheduled to invest wood on the coast of the sea to determine whether the material is a disaster impact or there is an element of human activity.

Irhamni revealed that his party would send an additional team to deepen investigations in the Tamiang River area, Aceh,

"The investigation process will focus on illegal logging activities that occur along the upstream of the Tamiang river, Aceh," he said.