InfoSAWIT, MUKOMUKO – Forestry law enforcement authorities have named a 58-year-old man identified only as S as a suspect in an alleged forest encroachment case linked to the development of an illegal oil palm plantation in the Seblat Landscape, Mukomuko, Bengkulu. The suspect is believed to have controlled and managed approximately 30 hectares of oil palm plantation land inside the Air Rami Production Forest, an ecologically important protected landscape in the province.
The designation followed a series of operations under Operation Merah Putih Bentang Alam Seblat, a law enforcement initiative focused on suppressing illegal land clearing activities in high-conservation-value forest areas.
Investigators also confiscated key evidence, including one excavator, a hut built inside the forest area, 30 hectares of oil palm plantation land, and transaction receipts allegedly linked to illegal land sales used as the basis for occupying forest land.
Director General for Forestry Law Enforcement at Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, said the operation carries strategic significance for wildlife protection, particularly for the critically important habitat of the Sumatran elephant.
According to him, illegal plantation expansion inside forest zones not only violates the law, but also reduces wildlife roaming space and increases the risk of human-wildlife conflict.
“The Ministry of Forestry is committed to ensuring that every violation in forest areas is processed under the law without exception. This operation is a concrete effort to safeguard forest ecosystems as ecological buffers and wildlife habitat, while strengthening cross-sector collaboration to prevent future forest destruction,” Dwi said in an official statement quoted by InfoSAWIT on Tuesday (28/4/2026).
Excavator Hidden Under Palm Fronds
Head of the Sumatra Forestry Law Enforcement Agency, Hari Novianto, revealed that field teams discovered an excavator deliberately concealed beneath piles of oil palm fronds.
The camouflage was allegedly intended to avoid detection by authorities. Preliminary findings suggest the heavy equipment was used to build illegal access roads that facilitated land clearing and plantation operations inside the forest area.
“We will continue developing this case to uncover other parties involved, including heavy equipment providers and the masterminds behind the illegal road construction. This law enforcement action is part of protecting the integrity of our forest areas,” Hari stressed.
Facing Up to 10 Years in Prison
The suspect is currently being held at Bengkulu Regional Police detention facilities pending further legal proceedings.
He is charged under Indonesia’s forest encroachment laws, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and fines of up to Rp7.5 billion.
The case serves as a strong warning that illegal oil palm cultivation in conservation and production forest areas remains a major government enforcement focus, while underscoring the importance of balancing plantation development with environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. (T2)
