JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) has destroyed an illegal 98.8 hectares (ha) of oil palm plantations within the Berbak Sembilang National Park (TNBS) area during 4-10 December 2025.
Head of the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency (Gakkum) for the Sumatra Region, Hari Novianto, said that the joint operation of the TNBS Agency, TNI, Polri, and the local government was centered on the Sungai Rambut Resort SPTN Region I, which is administratively located in Berbak District, East Tanjung Jabung Regency, Jambi.
"I have ordered the Gakkum investigator to continue to develop this case intensively, to pursue other parties including financiers involved in the activities of buying and selling land in forest areas and encroachment in TNBS," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, December 16.
"Previously, the Gakkum Forestry investigators had also processed the law of two suspects related to illegal activities at the location, which is currently still in the investigation stage," added Hari.
The operation to restore the area involved 51 joint personnel, focusing on areas known to have experienced massive encroachment and land use conversion into oil palm plantations in the last two years.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the Jambi Mako Brigade, Beth Venri, said that the destruction of illegal oil palm was carried out using various tools and utilizing plant drying materials to kill the plants.
"This firm step is a serious message that the country will not allow the destruction of the peat swamp ecosystem to continue for the sake of unilateral profit. Berbak National Park is one of the most important peat swamp areas in Sumatra and is a vital habitat for a variety of protected wildlife," he said.
He reminded that encroachment and land opening for illegal oil palm plantations not only damage the ecosystem structure, but also increase the risk of forest and land fires that are difficult to control in peatlands.
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