Cases Of Illegal Elimination In Maluku Tanibar Are SP3, Police Reason 3 Suspects Can't Be Continued

Illustration of wood illegal logging. (Between)

The Tanimbar Islands Resort and Criminal Unit, Maluku, has stopped the legal process against three suspects in the alleged illegal logging case.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Tanimbar Islands Police, Iptu Axel Panggabean, said that previously investigators had named three suspects, namely RMM, FR, and JM with threats of Article 83 paragraph (1) letter (b) of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 18 of 2013 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction which had been amended as referred to in article 37 number 13 of Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation.

The three suspects were arrested along with evidence of wood at Yos Sudarso Saumlaki Port, Tanimbar, when they were about to sell wood suspected of being the result of illegal logging to Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on June 14, 2022.

After the investigation process was carried out, investigators did not find enough evidence and the consideration of expert witnesses who explained that the actions of the suspects did not fulfill the elements as suspected.

"During the determination of the suspect, I did not serve as the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit. When I was on duty, we carried out further proceedings and asked for information from an expert witness appointed by the Maluku Province Forestry Service. The conclusion is that the suspects cannot be processed further because the wood is an APL or taken from a licensed area and if they want to be sold outside the area it is allowed because they pay taxes" Axel said, in Saumlaki, Maluku, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, November 9.

APL is an area outside the country's forest area that is intended for development activities outside the forestry sector. "The forest in APL, apart from functioning as the closest environmental buffer for people's lives, can also be an economic source for the local community," he said.

Therefore, he said investigators issued an Investigation Termination Order (SP3) and the suspects were released from the threat of punishment. "So, investigators work according to the stages and rules," he added.

Previously, the Tanimbar Islands Police Chief AKBP Umar Wijaya stated that the police had confiscated evidence of hundreds of various types of processed wood in this case. The case began with the first arrest by personnel from the Tanimbar Police Sabhara Unit patrolling Yos Sudarso Saumlaki Port on June 14, 2022.

The police found a truck with police number L 9159 NJ which contained Merbau/iron processed wood measuring 6 cm x 12 cm x 400 cm as much as 127 pieces. Then when the inspection was carried out, the driver carrying the wood with the initials RRM could not show the wood documents so the truck and cargo were immediately secured at the Tanimbar Police Station.

After that, an examination was carried out on the witnesses and the driver who brought the wood. Five witnesses were examined, including police personnel on duty, Saumlaki Harbor workers who raised and lowered the wood, and RRM.

From the results of the examination, it was found that the wood belonged to FR in Lauran Village, South Tanimbar District, which was planned to be brought to Kupang using the Motorboat Berkat Taloda.

He explained that not long ago that day, the Tanimnar Police Satreskrim personnel also secured a truck with police number DE 8697 E which was loading wood in the port area and was not equipped with documents. The vehicle contains 140 pieces of processed wood measuring 4 cm x 25 cm x 300 cm.

According to the results of the examination, the wood belonged to a resident with the initials STG. The truck driver with the initials JM admitted that previously he carried 105 pieces of processed wood with a size of 6 cm x 12 cm x 400 cm, and a size of 4 cm x 25 cm x 400 cm as many as 20 pieces.

When checked by officers in the field, the driver of JM was unable to show complete documents so that the evidence was secured at the Tanimbar Islands Police. Regarding the findings of this second case, the Satresrim investigators then also examined three witnesses and JM drivers, who were finally named suspects and detained.

However, at that time, the police could not yet examine a wooden owner with the initials STG because he considered his old health condition and had just undergone tumor surgery.

At that time, the suspects were threatened with punishment according to the alleged article, namely that the suspects were threatened with imprisonment for a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years and a fine of at least Rp. 500 million and a maximum of Rp. 2.5 billion.