Kemenhut Partners with KPK to OJK to Chase Wildlife Trade Network

Illustration. (Photo: Dok. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry has changed the direction of law enforcement against illegal forest and trade in plants and wildlife (TSL) crimes.

The focus of the action is no longer on the perpetrators in the field, but has been expanded to dismantle the crime network and trace the flow of economic profits obtained by the perpetrators.

This strategy is part of strengthening forest governance which is driven by the Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni.

This policy is in line with President Prabowo Subianto's direction which not only focuses on the utilization and management of forest resources, but also the protection of forests, ecosystems, and biodiversity through effective law enforcement.

The strengthening of the strategy was discussed in the Multistakeholder Meeting on Integrated Forestry and Wildlife Law Enforcement (TSL) held by the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement together with the LEVERAGE Program in Bogor on 7-8 August 2026.

The forum brought together PPNS across ministries and agencies, the Police, the Prosecutor's Office, the KPK, the Supreme Court, the Customs and Excise Service, the OJK, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Quarantine, and academics.

The meeting was directed to strengthen the implementation of the multidoor approach in handling forest crimes and illegal TSL trade.

Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho said that a multi-door approach was needed so that law enforcement did not rely solely on one criminal instrument.

"The multidoor approach is becoming increasingly important. Various legal instruments that are available need to be optimally utilized, including criminal acts of corruption, taxation, customs, to the financial services sector," said Dwi, Sunday, August 9.

This approach opens up a wider scope for law enforcement, including the use of articles on money laundering (TPPU), asset tracing, and the recovery of assets from crimes.

According to Dwi, Indonesia as a country with high biodiversity faces serious threats from organized and cross-regional illegal trade in plants and wildlife.

This crime not only threatens the sustainability of species and ecosystems, but also causes huge economic losses.

Therefore, law enforcement is considered to have shifted from merely punishing field actors to efforts to break the chain of crime and eliminate its economic incentives.

"Effective law enforcement is not only measured by the number of perpetrators who are convicted, but by the state's ability to build scientific-based precision evidence and eliminate the economic motivation of the crime," he said.

In the forum, participants formulated four strategic steps to strengthen integrated law enforcement.

The steps include the formation of an Integrated Law Enforcement Task Force to handle large-scale illegal TSL cases, the preparation of integrated SOPs between agencies, the harmonization of regulations supporting law enforcement, and the strengthening of the capacity of the PPNS in the implementation of multidoor, asset recovery, and ecosystem loss recovery.

Director of Criminal Forestry Enforcement Rudianto Saragih Napitu assessed that the success of integrated law enforcement very much depends on inter-agency coordination.

"Integrated law enforcement is not only limited to handling cases, but also includes transforming the way and culture of work between institutions," he said.

He said that strengthening the capacity of the PPNS, the formation of a communication platform between investigators, as well as a special team for handling TPPU and asset tracing are important parts of optimizing investigations, investigations, and environmental recovery.

As a follow-up, the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement together with the LEVERAGE Program will publish a study on the challenges of investigating illegal trade in plants and wildlife.

The study will be a cross-agency reference to strengthen the investigation and evidence strategy in forest crime cases.

Through a more integrated approach, forest law enforcement is directed not only to arrest perpetrators, but also to dismantle crime networks, confiscate crime proceeds, recover environmental losses, and suppress economic profits that have long been the main driving force behind illegal wildlife trade.