Forestry Ministry Uncovers Protected Forest Encroachment in East Luwu, Two Arrested
The Ministry of Forestry, through its Sulawesi Regional Forestry Law Enforcement Agency, has uncovered suspected encroachment of a protected forest area in Wasuponda District, East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi. During a sting operation on Wednesday (24/6), the Rapid Reaction Forestry Police Unit (SPORC) detained two individuals, identified as S and ED, suspected of involvement in illegal logging and clearing forest areas for plantation purposes.
Head of the Sulawesi Regional Forestry Law Enforcement Agency, Ali Bahri, stated that the arrests of S and ED serve as an entry point to uncover a more complete chain of protected forest encroachment. According to him, investigators are not only examining the logging incident on the ground but also tracing parties suspected of claiming the land, organising the work, paying wages, stockpiling timber, and benefiting from the illegally cleared area.
“At the location, we did not just find people cutting and hauling timber. We found a pattern. There were land clearings, huts, timber being removed, areas beginning to be planted, and parties suspected of claiming the protected forest as their own land. Protected forests cannot be treated like vacant land that can be cleared, stripped of its timber, and then turned into a plantation. Therefore, the handling of this case must not stop at the person holding the chainsaw or hauling timber on the ground. Investigators are probing who organised it, who financed it, who stockpiled the timber, and who benefited from the conversion of protected forest into illegal plantations,” Ali Bahri asserted on Monday (29/6).
Ali added that public information was a vital part of uncovering this case. Community reports helped officers access the location more quickly and halt the activity before the damage spread further. The Ministry of Forestry urges communities living around forest areas to report immediately if they witness land clearing, tree felling, timber transportation, hut construction, or the planting of commodities within forest areas without permits.
The operation stemmed from public information regarding suspected illegal land clearing within the protected forest. Following up on the report, the SPORC team conducted a field check and discovered several land clearings in various blocks, huts, areas already planted with oil palm, and activities involving the removal of felled timber. At the location, officers found ED hauling felled timber using a cow. Not far from there, officers heard the sound of a chainsaw from another direction within the protected forest. The team then traced the source of the sound and found S processing felled timber. Both were detained along with several pieces of evidence for investigation purposes.
From initial investigations, officers suspect the activities were not isolated. S and ED are believed to have been working under the direction of an individual identified as A, who claimed ownership of land within the protected forest. A is also suspected of facilitating the activities and paying the two suspects. Investigators are examining the pattern of gradual forest clearing, where trees are felled, timber is removed, and the area is then occupied and developed into a plantation. S is suspected of felling and processing the timber, while ED is suspected of hauling the timber using a cow to a collection point. The collected timber was then allegedly transported by truck and sold to the timber processing industry.
Beyond the logging and timber removal, investigators found approximately two hectares of land claimed by A and planted with oil palm, dragon fruit, patchouli, and chillies. This finding strengthens the suspicion that the logging was carried out as part of a process to clear and occupy protected forest areas for plantation activities. In developing the case, investigators are tracing A’s role as the suspected director and facilitator of the activities. Investigators are also exploring the possible involvement of parties who received or stockpiled the illegally felled timber, as well as other parties who benefited from the series of encroachment, timber removal, and occupation of the forest area.
The two suspects are charged under Article 82 paragraph (1) letter c in conjunction with Article 12 letter c of Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, and/or Article 78 paragraph (3) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (2) letter a of Law Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry, as amended by Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation into Law, in conjunction with Article 20 of the Criminal Code. The suspects face a maximum prison sentence of five years and a maximum fine of Rp2.5 billion. Currently, S and ED have been detained by investigators and are being held at the Directorate of Detainees and Evidence of the South Sulawesi Regional Police for further investigation.
The Ministry of Forestry stressed that protecting forests is a direct public interest. Well-preserved forests help store water, hold soil, reduce the risk of floods and landslides, and sustain the lives of surrounding communities. “Therefore, every piece of public information is crucial in preventing protected forests from being slowly turned into illegal plantations,” the ministry concluded.