Police Unload Illegal Oil And Gas Well Equipment At Jambi-Sumsel Border

Personnel from the Tipidter Sub-Directorate of the Jambi Police Ditreskrimsus together with PT Restoration Ekosistem Indonesia (REKI) found dozens of illegal oil and gas wells at the Jambi-South Sumatra border, Saturday (10/11/2024). (ANTARA/HO-Polda Jambi)

JAMBI - The Tipidter Sub-Directorate of the Jambi Police Ditreskrimsus together with PT Restoration Ekosistem Indonesia (REKI) took action by dismantling various equipment used for illegal oil and gas well mining activities at the Jambi-South Sumatra border.

Head of Sub-Directorate for Tipidter Ditreskrimsus Jambi Police AKBP Reza Khomeini said his party received a report regarding illegal drilling activities in the Harapan Forest area belonging to PT Restoration Ekosistem Indonesia (REKI).

"So we followed up based on the attention of the Kapolda, we visited the location of PT REKI's Hope Forest, related to allegations of illegal drilling activities carried out by the community," he said in an official statement received in Jambi, Antara, Sunday, November 10.

Personnel inspected the location in question, namely at the border of Batanghari, Jambi and Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, precisely in the Forest Harapan area owned by PT Restoration Ekosistem Indonesia. At the location, officers found dozens of oil wells without permission.

However, after officers took to the illegal drilling location, the location entered the Musi Banyuasin (Muba) area of South Sumatra and was known to have been active since 2023.

Officers had to travel for 4 to 5 hours to get to the illegal drilling location in the Forest Harapan area owned by PT Restoration Ekosistem Indonesia.

After arriving in Hutan Harapan, officers found dozens of oil mining wells without permits left by workers.

After being checked, the location entered the South Sumatra region, exactly two kilometers from the limits of Jambi and South Sumatra Provinces.

"We found that there were indeed several oil wells without permits. However, there are no people or workers and after we checked through the map, this location has entered the South Sumatra region," said Reza.

Reza added that in order to prevent oil mining activities without permission in PT REKI's Hope Forest, his party accompanied PT REKI to destroy 20 well points and tools used by workers.

In addition, the police also found a place suspected of holding oil or a place for receiving oil from illegal drilling in the Harapan Forest area belonging to PT REKI which is located in the Batanghari Regency area, Jambi Province.

However, when officers came to the place, the owner was not there. It is suspected that they were aware of the arrival of the police.

"Some of it has been damaged so that it cannot be used. In the future, we will coordinate with the South Sumatra Police to conduct an investigation, because the information circulating, buyers and collectors of oil mining, illegal products, are in the Jambi area," he said.

He asked the public not to enter the Forest Harapan area and carry out oil mining activities without permission.

"If law enforcement, for example in several places that we have taken action, two months have stopped, then there are other efforts to enter other areas, such as this location," he said.

Reza emphasized that this action was in accordance with the direction of the President of the Republic of Indonesia regarding the protection of forest areas and the rescue of environmental assets.