Gakkum KLH Arrests Key Actor in Baluran National Park Illegal Logging Network
The Directorate General of Law and Prosecution (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Forestry has successfully apprehended AH, 40, a key actor in an illegal logging crime network operating in Baluran National Park (TN). The arrest resulted from intensive pursuit after the suspect was detected in Denpasar, Bali.
The Head of the Gakkum Office for Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara (Jabalnusra), Aswin Bangun, explained that AH was monitored for approximately one week before being captured in Dusun Sidomulyo, Desa Sumberwaru, Situbondo, East Java. The case represents a development from a previous suspect with the initials HK.
Aswin emphasised that authorities have mapped the entire network. “The illegal logging network in Baluran National Park has been mapped by us and the individuals on our wanted list continue to be pursued one by one,” said Aswin on Tuesday, 10 March.
He also urged other fugitives to surrender immediately. “Law enforcement will continue to be carried out firmly until the entire chain of perpetrators, including those who benefit from this crime, can be revealed,” he stated.
Within this network, AH was not merely an ordinary perpetrator. He served as the operational field controller who coordinated several logging teams. Additionally, AH controlled the transport chain of illegal timber until it reached the hands of receivers.
Before his arrest on 4 March 2026, AH had evaded two previous summonses by investigators as a witness. Based on sufficient evidence, Civil Servant Investigators (PPNS) subsequently designated him as a suspect. He has now been brought to Sidoarjo to undergo further legal proceedings.
The case originated on 16 November 2023 when a joint team tracked a Mega Carry vehicle suspected of transporting illegal teak timber from Baluran National Park. The vehicle was found abandoned by the perpetrators in Wongsorejo, Banyuwangi, with a cargo of 10 logs of teak wood. The investigation continued to develop until the arrest of HK in September 2025, and the case has now been handed over to Banyuwangi State Prosecutor’s Office.
The Director of Prevention and Handling of Forestry Complaints, Yazid Nurhuda, emphasised that illegal logging in conservation areas is a serious crime that damages the national timber trade system. “Illegal logging not only destroys forest ecosystems but also damages healthy timber commerce. When illegal timber enters the market at low prices, law-abiding businesses are actually harmed by unfair competition,” explained Yazid.
According to him, Baluran National Park is a showcase of Indonesia’s biological diversity that must be protected. AH now faces charges under Law No. 18 of 2013 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, as amended by Law No. 6 of 2023 concerning Job Creation. The suspect faces a maximum prison sentence of five years and a maximum fine of Rp2.5 billion.