Forestry Ministry Dismantles Illegal Sugarcane Plantation in UGM Educational Forest, Ngawi

A joint operation by the Ministry of Forestry, alongside the East Java Regional Police, Brimob, and the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office, dismantled illegal land clearing within the UGM Special Purpose Forest (KHDTK) area in Pitu District, Ngawi Regency, East Java, on Friday (19/6).

Four individuals have been named as suspects, including a Village Secretary, in connection with the creation of access routes leading to illegal sugarcane plantations within the state forest area. The operation team detained seven individuals for questioning and seized two excavators and two dump trucks. Following a case review, investigators identified four suspects from two different locations.

At the first location in Pitu Village, two suspects were identified: YM, suspected of acting as the financier and supervisor, and S, suspected of being the person in charge of heavy equipment operations. At the second location in Dumplengan Village, the suspects are M, the Secretary of Ngeblak Village, suspected of acting as a supervisor and financier, and JM, the person in charge of field heavy equipment operations.

The Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, stated that the illegal occupation of forest areas often proceeds incrementally, and such patterns must be disrupted at the outset.

“Illegal occupation of forest areas often moves in stages, starting from land preparation, the development of plantation areas, opening access, the use of heavy equipment, the transport of produce, until the area is gradually treated as if it can be controlled. This pattern must be broken from the start, especially in the KHDTK, which serves as a space for education, training, research, and field learning for students, prospective foresters, researchers, and stakeholders involved in Indonesian forest management,” Dwi emphasised on Monday (22/6).

He also expressed appreciation for the residents who reported the heavy machinery activity within the forest area, which triggered the discovery of the case. “Community information serves as an early warning before damage expands. Forest protection cannot rely solely on the role of officers,” he added.

The Head of the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency for the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara region, Aswin Bangun, asserted that the investigation will not stop with the four identified suspects. Investigators are currently delving into the origins of the heavy machinery, the parties financing the work, the transport routes, and the parties receiving benefits from the illegal use of the forest area.

“We want to ensure that this case does not end with the individuals present at the site, but also traces those who organise, facilitate, or benefit from these activities,” said Aswin.

The suspects face charges under Article 78 of Law Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry, as amended by the Job Creation Law, as well as Article 92 of Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction. They face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and fines of up to Rp7.5 billion. The suspects are currently being held at the East Java Regional Police Detention Centre, while the two excavators have been placed in the Class II Mojokerto State Property Custody Office (Rupbasan).