Producing Charcoal, Mangrove Logging Perpetrators Arrested in Langkat North Sumatra

MEDAN - The Regional Police of North Sumatra (North Sumatra) arrested two perpetrators of mangrove forest logging in Lubuk Kertang Village, Homen District, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra.

The two perpetrators, namely SP and JL, are the loggers of mangrove trees measuring 3-4 centimeters and 3 meters high in the Langkat Regency area.

"This action is part of the North Sumatra Police's commitment to protecting the environment and society. Increasingly massive destruction can harm residents and damage forest ecosystems," said North Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Agung Setya Imam Effendi, in a statement received, Thursday, August 3.

Agung said that from the results of a temporary investigation conducted by Sub Directorate IV for Certain Crimes (Tipiter) of the North Sumatra Regional Police's Criminal Investigation Directorate, mangrove wood that was turned into charcoal was exported abroad.

The exporter who is in the city of Medan is suspected of deliberately using local residents to cut down mangrove trees and process them until they become charcoal ready for sale. Meanwhile, charcoal is sold for IDR 4,000 per kilogram abroad.

"Mangroves are an important issue for us to save. The North Sumatran regional police are enforcing the law on mangrove forests. We have found two people and carried out arrests and legal proceedings," he said.

The regional police chief said that due to encroachment on the mangrove forest, fishermen have difficulty finding fish because the plants used as their habitat have been damaged or even depleted.

In addition, mangrove forests also provide 10 times more carbon stock than other crops such as oil palm.

"We have repeatedly voiced our voice to the Minister of Forestry to be able to save the mangroves," explained the North Sumatran Police Chief.

Meanwhile, after the logging of the mangrove forest in Pangkalan Batu, Langkat Regency, with quite high awareness, a number of charcoal kitchen owners dismantled their own charcoal kitchen, last Wednesday.

Muspika appealed to the owners of the charcoal kitchen to dismantle their kitchen. After the meeting, five charcoal kitchen owners voluntarily carried out the demolition, namely Basuki's in Ward 1 Suka Damai, Pangkalan Batu Village, Surif's charcoal kitchen in Ward 1 Suka Damai, Pangkalan Batu Village, Johan's kitchen in Ward 1 Lorong Panglong, Pangkalan Batu Village.

Then, Hasbullah's kitchen in Ward 1, Lorong Panglong, Pangkalan Batu Village, and Udin DJ's charcoal kitchen, in Ward 1 Suka Damai, Pangkalan Batu Village.

As many as 700 hectares out of an area of 1,200 hectares of mangrove forest were damaged due to logging for the charcoal industry made from mangrove in Lubuk Kertang Village, Berandan District, Langkat Regency.