Enviro News Asia, Batam — Investigators from the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency (Gakkumhut) for the Sumatra Region have transferred two suspects, identified by the initials RA (49) and S (58), along with evidence, to the Batam District Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, December 15, 2025, after the case files were declared complete (P-21).
The handover followed an investigation into an inter-island illegal timber trafficking network involving processed timber originating from forest areas. The suspects allegedly played key roles in facilitating the transportation and reception of illegally processed timber using falsified or misused forestry documents.
Authorities submitted evidence including one KLM AAL Delima vessel (139 GT), 656 processed timber logs with a total volume of 100.34 cubic meters, one mobile phone, PHAT ownership documents, SKSHHKB transport documents, PBPHH business permits, and other supporting materials for prosecution purposes.
Head of Regional Section II Pekanbaru, Khairul Amri, stated that both suspects held strategic positions within the network. RA acted as a certified forestry technical officer (Ganis) at PHAT MY and issued SKSHHKB documents to facilitate illegal timber transportation, while also arranging shipments from Selat Panjang, Meranti Islands Regency, Riau. Meanwhile, S coordinated the reception of the timber at PBPHH NG facilities in Batam City.
RA is a resident of Klaten Regency, Central Java, while S resides in Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau Province. Both suspects face charges under Article 88 paragraph (1) letter a in conjunction with Article 16 of Law No. 18 of 2013 on the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp2.5 billion.
Head of the Sumatra Regional Forestry Law Enforcement Agency, Hari Novianto, explained the modus operandi used in the case. He stated that the illegal processed timber was transported on September 2, 2025, from the Tanjung Samak–Selat Beliah area, Pulau Tupang, Meranti Islands Regency, using SKSHHKB documents and Timber Form Change Reports issued by PHAT MY. The shipment was intended for PBPHH NG facilities in Batam City.
According to regulations, the transportation of processed timber must be accompanied by an SKSHHKO document. Using SKSHHKB documents and form-change reports for transporting processed timber violates forestry regulations. Investigators also noted that the timber loading site was located approximately 64 kilometers from the registered PHAT location, indicating a newly identified method for concealing illegal timber sourced from forest areas.
The case originated from a joint operation conducted by Gakkumhut and the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla RI), which intercepted the KLM AAL Delima vessel carrying illegal processed timber without valid SKSHHKO documents at Sagulung Port, Batam City, on September 3, 2025, at 16:10 WIB.
Hari Novianto expressed appreciation for the cooperation of Bakamla RI’s Batam unit and the Riau Islands High Prosecutor’s Office, emphasizing that inter-agency collaboration remains essential in strengthening forestry law enforcement and combating illegal timber circulation in the Riau Islands region. (*)
