MERANTI ISLANDS - Police officers from the Meranti Islands Police Polairud Unit, Riau Province, confiscated dozens of cubic meters of undocumented timber in the waters of Dedap Village, Tasik Putripuyu District. During the confiscation, the police also arrested two perpetrators.
The Meranti Islands Police Chief, AKBP Andi Yul LTG, said the two arrested were the owner of the HE wood (35) and the crew of the ship carrying the initials IR (16). One of the perpetrators fled during the arrest operation.
"There are about 13 cubic meters of processed wood that have been secured. We have detained the owners of the wood and the crew (who were transporting it)," he said in Selatpanjang, Antara, Wednesday, March 9.
The disclosure of the case began when Satpolairud received information from the community at around 17.00 WIB which stated that there was illegal logging activity in Dedap Village.
Based on this information, the team led by the Head of Patrol Unit Ipda Abdul Roni and the Head of the Gakkum Ipda Andi Purba immediately departed from the pier of the Selatpanjang Patrol Unit Office to patrol around the waters of Dedap Village.
From the results of monitoring at around 21.30 WIB, the team detected a ship shifting from Kuala Sungai Dedap. There the team saw wood tied into 10 rafts with a total of approximately 13 cubic feet and pulled by a motorboat operated by two people. Based on the information, the wood plans to be traded to Kelemantan Village, Bengkalis Regency.
"The team immediately gave chase and the ship was successfully approached. The captain, known to have the initials I, fled by plunging into the water and exploring the mangrove forest," explained the Police Chief.
During the interrogation, HE, who is a resident of Bandul Village, claimed to be the owner of the wood and came to the TKP. HE came to ask the police to take out the wood that was secured.
"He (HE) is suspected of playing a role as the owner of the wood. So, we immediately arrested him and named him a suspect. Meanwhile, the evidence was immediately secured to the Satpolairud Office in Selatpanjang," he said.
The perpetrator's actions are alleged to be Article 83 Paragraph (1) letter b Jo Article 12 letter e of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction in conjunction with Article 55 and or 56 of the Criminal Code.
The police chief thanked the community for providing information regarding illegal logging activities. "Let's protect our forest together from ignorant hands," said the Police Chief.
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