Forestry Ministry Foils Illegal Land Clearing in UGM Educational Forest in Ngawi

The Ministry of Forestry’s Law Enforcement Directorate General has successfully thwarted an illegal land clearing operation in the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) educational forest area in Ngawi Regency, East Java.

Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho stated on Monday that the operation was a joint criminal forestry enforcement action in the Special Purpose Forest Area (KHDTK) for Forestry Education and Training of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), involving the East Java Regional Police Supervisory Corps, the East Java Police Mobile Brigade, and the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office.

“During the operation, the team detained seven individuals for questioning, including a village secretary, and seized two excavators and two dump trucks. Following a case review, investigators named four suspects, two from the first location in Pitu Village and two from the second location in Dumplengan Village,” he said.

Dwi Januanto Nugroho emphasised that the enforcement action in the UGM KHDTK was an effort to maintain legal certainty over forest areas. He explained that illegal occupation of forest areas often progresses gradually, starting from land cultivation, expanding plantation areas, opening access routes, using heavy machinery, transporting products, until the area is slowly treated as if it can be possessed.

“This pattern must be broken from the start, especially in a KHDTK that serves as a space for education, training, research, and field learning for students, prospective foresters, researchers, and parties involved in building Indonesia’s forest management,” Januanto said.

He explained that the operation began with public information regarding heavy machinery activity inside the forest area. The information was followed up by the Forestry Law Enforcement Office for the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Region by collecting data and information in the field. The initial investigation found land clearing and access opening activities using two excavators at two different locations, suspected to be linked to the opening of access to an illegal sugarcane plantation within the UGM KHDTK.

After coordinating with the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office, the East Java Regional Police Supervisory Corps, and the East Java Police Mobile Brigade, the joint operations team took action at two locations within the KHDTK, namely in Pitu Village and Dumplengan Village, Ngawi District, Ngawi. At the first location in Pitu Village, the team detained four people. After a case review, investigators named two suspects, identified as YM, who allegedly acted as the financier and supervisor, and S, who allegedly served as the field operations manager for the heavy machinery.

At the second location in Dumplengan Village, the team detained three people. After the case review, investigators named two suspects, identified as M, the Secretary of Ngeblak Village, who allegedly acted as the supervisor and financier, and JM, who allegedly served as the field operations manager for the heavy machinery.

Januanto also expressed appreciation to the public for providing the initial information about heavy machinery activity inside the forest area. Public information serves as an early warning before damage becomes widespread.

Head of the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Forestry Law Enforcement Office, Aswin Bangun, stated that the operation serves as an entry point to investigate the involvement of other actors behind the illegal activity. The investigation is ongoing. For further examination and investigation, the suspects have been placed in the custody of the East Java Regional Police’s Directorate of Detainees and Evidence.

The perpetrators are charged under Article 78 paragraph (3) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (2) letter a of Law Number 41 of 1999 on Forestry, as amended by Article 36 number 19 and number 17 of Law Number 6 of 2023 on the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 on Job Creation into Law, and/or Article 92 paragraph (1) letter a in conjunction with Article 17 paragraph (2) letter a of Law Number 18 of 2013 on the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, as amended by Article 37 number 16 and number 51 of Law Number 6 of 2023. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp7.5 billion, and/or a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp5 billion.