Ministry of Forestry and Indonesian Navy Thwart Smuggling of 200 Tonnes of Charcoal in Riau
Jakarta — The Directorate General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Forestry (Gakkum Kemenhut), together with the Indonesian Navy, has successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle approximately 200 tonnes of mangrove charcoal to Malaysia through the Selat Panjang waterway in the Meranti Islands, Riau.
Director General of Gakkum Kemenhut Dwi Januanto Nugroho confirmed from Jakarta on Thursday that his office, in coordination with the Naval Regional Command I at the TNI AL Base Dumai and the Satgas Satintelmar Pusintelal task force, successfully prevented the smuggling of approximately 200 tonnes of mangrove charcoal being transported via the vessel KLM Samudera Indah Jaya GT. 172 on Thursday, 5 March.
“The mangrove ecosystem area on the eastern coast of Sumatera is currently experiencing a significant threat to its preservation due to illegal activities involving mangrove felling, which has extensive consequences for coastal and marine areas,” said Director General Dwi Januanto.
The operation was conducted following intelligence received by Unit Intel Lanal Dumai and the Satgas Satintelmar Pusintelal team, which indicated that a vessel would transport undocumented mangrove charcoal from the Meranti Islands to Malaysia on 5 March 2026.
Head of the Ministry of Forestry’s Law Enforcement Office for the Sumatera Region, Hari Novianto, explained that a pursuit and inspection operation was conducted against the vessel KLM Samudera Indah Jaya GT. 172. Upon inspection, the vessel, which was captained by an individual identified as AP and carrying eight crew members, was found to be transporting mangrove charcoal without proper documentation.
He stated that the state losses resulting from this illegal mangrove charcoal smuggling are estimated at 4.6 billion rupiah. Beyond the economic loss, the production of mangrove charcoal is believed to have resulted from the felling of approximately 4,000 to 4,500 adult mangrove trees.
Regarding the case, the authorities are currently conducting an investigation into suspected forestry offences.