KLHK Detains Coordinator Of Illegal Oil Palm Plantation In Bangka

Director General of Gakkum KLHK Ratio Ridho Sani (far left) and Head of Sub-Directorate of Forestry Crimes Directorate General of Law and Human Rights Cepi Arifiana (second right) at a press conference in Jakarta, Friday (29/7/2022) (ANTARA/Prisca Triferna)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has arrested a suspect who coordinated the operation of an illegal oil palm plantation in the Sembulan River Production Forest Area, Penagan Village, Mendo Barat, Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands, on an area of 14.5 hectares.

Head of the Sub-Directorate of Forestry Crimes, Directorate General of Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement (Gakkum LHK) Cepi Arifiana, said that the suspect with the initials A was arrested for allegedly committing forestry crimes in the form of working and or using and or occupying forest areas illegally for plantation activities.

"The handling of this case began with a complaint in Bangka Belitung regarding forest and environmental destruction activities in Bangka Regency, precisely in the Sembulan River Production Forest Area," Cepi said at a press conference at the KLHK office in Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Friday, July 29.

After the complaint, a joint patrol was carried out between the KLHK Gakkum and various stakeholders who succeeded in finding illegal plantation activities with one of the evidences found to be an excavator which was allegedly owned by the Bangka Regency Government.

Suspect A, who was the coordinator of the illegal plantation activities, was later named a suspect and has been detained since July 1, 2022 at the Salemba Detention Center, Jakarta.

"Based on the results of the TKP and the testimony of witnesses and suspects, it is suspected that the area that has been cleared for plantation activities is 14.5 hectares. In this 14.5 hectares, based on TKP processing that has been planted by oil palm, there are about 9 hectares," he said.

The plantation activity itself is carried out in the period from January 23, 2022 to May 21, 2022.

For this action, suspect A is threatened with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum fine of IDR 7.5 billion.

Director General of Gakkum KLHK Ratio Ridho Sani said his party would continue to develop law enforcement efforts related to environmental cases, including the illegal oil palm plantations.

"We will carry out intensive law enforcement for illegal plantation activities carried out after the Job Creation Act," he said.