Grandpa From Central Java Who Burned Land For Palm Oil In Jambi Arrested By Police

Tabjabbar Police Chief AKBP Agung Basuki showed evidence that was secured with the suspect in the burning of land. (ANTARA/Eko Siswono)

JAMBI - The Tanjung Jabung Barat Resort Police (Polres Tanjabbar), Jambi, named BS (69), a resident of Telogo Sari Village, Central Java, as a suspect in the burning of land in Muara Danau Village, Renah District, Mendalu. "The suspect was arrested by the team on Friday, August 2, 2024, at 14.00 WIB along with evidence of one match, two machetes, a fruit with gasoline, two pieces of wood that caught fire and four staples of palm oil," said Tanjabbar Police Chief AKBP Agung Basuki in Jambi, Antara, Wednesday, August 7. Agung said that the suspect went to Jambi to look for a job because he was currently living alone. In 2023, BS met RN in North Sumatra (North Sumatra) who offered a job to BS. BS was offered a job cleaning up RN's land covering an area of approximately 4 hectares located in the forest area of Muara Danau Village to be planted with palm oil. At that time, RN promised to distribute 2 hectares of land to BS if its palm oil plants were successful. BS carried out land clearing using a fallen slash method, the result of the fallen slash was burned and then planted palm oil. The police initially received a report from the BMKG Fire Monitoring Station, Thursday, August 1, 2024, with the Latitude hotspot point: -1,2479/Longitude 102,7886 at around 01.20 WIB. On Friday (2/8), the team went down to the location and arrested the suspect at around 14.00 WIB along with evidence. The police chief emphasized that the alleged perpetrator was charged with Article 22 number 24 Paragraph (1) letter h of Law Number 2023 concerning the stipulation of PERPPU Number 2 of 2022 concerning job creation into law on amendments to the provisions of Article 108 in conjunction with Article 69 paragraph (1) letter h of Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning environmental protection and management or Article 188 of the Criminal Code.

The suspect can be sentenced to a minimum imprisonment of three years and a maximum of 10 years and a fine of at least Rp. 3 billion and a maximum of Rp. 10 billion or is threatened with a maximum imprisonment of 5 years or a maximum imprisonment of 1 year or a maximum fine of Rp. 4.5 million.