2 Perpetrators Of The Logging Of Hundreds Of Sengon Trees In The Jatibarang Reservoir Semarang Arrested

Two perpetrators of logging without the permission of hundreds of trees on the banks of the Jatibarang Reservoir Semarang were confronted during a press release at the Semarang Police Headquarters, Tuesday (18/7/2023). ANTARA/ IC Senjaya

Semarang - Semarang Police are handling cases of logging without the permission of hundreds of sengon trees on the banks of the Jatibarang Reservoir Semarang, Central Java.

Semarang Deputy Chief of Police AKBP Wiwit Ari Wibisono said the two protesters were named as suspects in the case.

The two suspects who were detained were ZA (58), a resident of Plombokan, Semarang City and I (42) a resident of Gunungpati, Semarang City.

According to him, the incident began with a report about the logging activity of hundreds of trees on the east and west sides of the Jatibarang Reservoir in December 2022.

The felling of 512 sengon trees on the edge of the reservoir, he said, did not obtain permission from the Pemali Juwana River Basin Center (BBWS).

He explained that the suspect ZA had previously submitted an application to BBWS Pemali Juwana to cut down trees on the outskirts of Jatibarang.

"The BBWS gave an answer that it could not fulfill the request," said Wiwit, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 18.

Before BBWS's reply letter was submitted, the felling of the trees had already taken place.

Suspect ZA allegedly received around Rp150 million from a person with the initials AS to carry out the logging activity.

Currently the police are still hunting for the US who has given money to the suspect for the felling of the tree.

For their actions, the two suspects were charged with Article 363 of the Criminal Code regarding theft which resulted in environmental damage around the Jatibarang Reservoir.