Cases Of Forest Addition Bringing Assembled Guns At Waykambas Lampung, 1 DPO Arrested

LAMPUNG - Police have arrested a suspect in the case of adding a protected forest area in the Way Kambas National Park (TNWK) of East Lampung Regency, Lampung Province. The perpetrator has previously been on the wanted list (DPO).

"The East Lampung Police Criminal Investigation Unit team, Lampung Police, has arrested a fugitive, a suspect in the case of adding a protected forest area, TNWK," said East Lampung Police Chief AKBP M Rizal Muchtar in his statement, Wednesday, October 11, quoted by Antara.

He said the suspect was suspected of entering the TNWK protected forest area with two of his colleagues without permission in February 2023.

Both were caught carrying homemade firearms (senpi) along with dozens of rounds of ammunition when entering the TNWK with the intention of carrying out illegal hunting.

"The suspect is MP (59), a resident of Rantau Jaya Udik Village, Sukadana District," he said.

He said the suspect's malicious intentions did not go smoothly, because when he entered the TNWK area he was caught by patrol officers in a protected forest area, so the person concerned chose to run away.

"Although MP and his colleagues managed to escape, at that time, a fellow suspect with the initials SL was caught by patrol officers in the TNWK forest area, and was immediately handed over to the East Lampung Police," he said.

After that, the police continued to carry out the investigation process related to the crime, finally on Tuesday, October 10 identified the perpetrator, as well as arrested the suspect at MP's house without a fight.

"As evidence related to the alleged case of the addition of the TNWK protected forest, the police have also confiscated one long-barreled assembled firearm along with dozens of live ammunition, sharp machetes, three wooden/onthel bicycles, flashlights, four sacks, one raincoat, three bags, matches and cigarettes, and food supplies," he said.