Three Suspects in Kerumutan Wildlife Reserve Illegal Logging Face 11 Years in Prison
The Forestry Law Enforcement Agency (Gakkum) for the Sumatra region, together with the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Centre (BBKSDA), has arrested three perpetrators of illegal logging in the Kerumutan Wildlife Reserve (SM Kerumutan), Pelalawan Regency, Riau. The operation was carried out on 1 August 2026 and proceeded with the naming of three male suspects with the initials E (56), SH (55) and A (46).
The three perpetrators were caught red-handed transporting hundreds of illegally processed timber pieces out of the conservation area using two trucks and one modified bicycle.
The Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, affirmed that the operation forms part of Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni’s efforts to carry out President Prabowo Subianto’s instruction to make the eradication of illegal logging a priority in strengthening national forest governance.
He said the Ministry of Forestry would take firm action against those who destroy forest ecosystems that serve as vital habitat for the protected Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae).
“They seek personal profit at the expense of the state and threaten people’s livelihoods. The Kerumutan Wildlife Reserve currently faces a serious threat from illegal logging and poaching activities. Without law enforcement, it is feared the Sumatran Tiger will become extinct,” said Dwi Januanto in a statement on Tuesday (4 August 2026).
During the joint operation, officers conducted a deep search into the Kerumutan forest and discovered a number of loggers’ huts. Officers took decisive action by destroying the huts, leftover processed timber, and supporting infrastructure such as wooden rail tracks designed by the perpetrators to distribute felled timber out of the area.
Following joint examinations with the Supervisory Officer of the Riau Regional Police’s Forestry and Environment Investigation Unit, the three suspects were officially detained at the Class I Detention House in Pekanbaru.
Evidence seized included an Isuzu truck (BM 9926 NU) loaded with 275 planks, a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter truck (BM 9349 AC) loaded with 156 planks and 100 lengths of broti timber, and one modified bicycle.
The suspects are charged under Article 40 paragraph (1) letter e in conjunction with Article 19 paragraph (2) letter e of Law No. 32 of 2024 on the Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, in conjunction with Law No. 1 of 2026 on Criminal Penalty Adjustments, carrying a maximum sentence of 11 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp2 billion.