Illegal Logging Syndicate in Baluran National Park to Face Trial
The East Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Forest Law Enforcement Unit (Gakkumhut JBN) has handed over suspect SB and evidence related to illegal logging in Baluran National Park to the Public Prosecutor at the Banyuwangi District Attorney’s Office.
The second phase of the legal process was carried out after the case file was deemed complete by the Prosecutor’s Office for the prosecution process, based on a letter from the Banyuwangi District Attorney’s Office dated February 18, 2026.
The Director General of Forest Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, emphasized that handling cases in conservation areas must be accompanied by strengthening prevention and protection measures to prevent similar crimes from recurring.
“We will continue to strengthen protection management at the site level by reinforcing the role of the Forest Police and improving the capacity of PPNS (Public Prosecutor’s Office) in the field. Prevention is the primary focus through consistent patrols, community involvement, and closer supervision. Illegal logging not only damages forests but also disrupts the orderly and legal timber trade, as illegal products put pressure on compliant businesses, especially if the source is from a national park. Conservation areas are a symbol of national dignity and beauty, so it is a shared responsibility to protect them,” he said on Wednesday (February 25).
He explained that this case is a continuation of the investigation into the illegal logging network in TN Baluran, which has been handled in stages since joint operations in November 2023. In a series of actions, authorities mapped the logging network and distribution of illegal teak wood, arrested a key actor with the initials HK on September 23, 2025, then secured SB on December 26, 2025, and designated him as a suspect on December 27, 2025. After the investigation process, the case file was declared complete and continued with the second phase handover.
The investigator charged the suspect with Article 83 paragraph (1) letter b in conjunction with Article 12 letter e of Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, as amended by Law Number 6 of 2023, with a maximum prison sentence of 5 years and a fine of up to IDR 2.5 billion.
The Head of the Jabalnusra Region Forest Law Enforcement Unit, Aswin Bangun, affirmed that handling this case is proof that the state is serious about closing off space for forestry crimes, including pursuing those who are still at large and unraveling the network of beneficiaries.
“The handling in Baluran is a strong signal that illegal logging activities no longer have a place,” he said.
“We will complete this case until the court, pursue the fugitives, and trace the network of beneficiaries in the supply chain. We apply the same approach in other locations. Every practice of forest exploitation without a permit will be dealt with, and those involved will be held accountable, including the obligation to restore and calculate state losses,” Aswin concluded. (H-3)
The team found evidence of the processing of one large teak tree that had been processed into three parts, the middle part measuring 475 cm long with a diameter of 80 cm.
The Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, emphasized the need for a fundamental change in mindset and approach in the management of Indonesian forestry.
The Ministry of Forestry through the Directorate General of Law Enforcement has secured several pieces of evidence allegedly related to illegal logging activities.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, emphasized that there must be an investigation by law enforcement officers to trace the logs that were also carried away in the Sumatra floods.
The loss of forest cover also means the loss of the forest’s function as a controller of water cycles in the area through hydrological processes of interception, infiltration, and evapotranspiration.
Although DNA technology has become a global standard in forensic forestry, its application in Indonesia is still relatively limited.
DM was arrested while processing wood using a chainsaw at the Air Sawan Resort, Lubuk Kembang Bunga Village, Ukui District, on January 21, 2026.
The call for the designation of floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra as a national disaster continues to be echoed.
Satellite imagery shows logging activity in the upstream area of the Batangtoru River covering approximately 33.04 hectares.