"Initial information found that illegal logging and land clearing activities are being carried out upstream in the Tamiang River by residents," the Director of Specific Crimes at the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency, Brigadier General Moh. Irhamni, stated on Tuesday.
According to him, the illegal logging is suspected of using a panglong method.
"The wood is being cut, piled on the banks, and then floated away when the water rises, like a raft," Irhamni explained.
Meanwhile, he added, in land clearing, large logs are often cut into smaller pieces to make them easier to carry when the water rises.
The police emphasized that the majority of these activities are unlicensed.
"The majority of logging in the protected forest along the Tamiang River, Aceh Tamiang District, is unlicensed, and the wood is not hardwood," he explained.
As a follow-up measure, the Directorate of Illegal Logging at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency will send an additional team to investigate the Tamiang River area.
"The investigation will focus on illegal logging activities occurring along the upstream Tamiang River in Aceh," he pointed out.
The National Police and the Ministry of Forestry have deployed a joint team to investigate the discovery of logs during the floods in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
The Directorate of Illegal Logging is chairing the investigation, and the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo emphasized that any violations found will be prosecuted by the police.
On December 4, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni stated that his office already had preliminary data from drone photos of affected areas and wood anatomy data from the Automatic Wood Identification Tool (AIKO) application.
"AIKO will identify wood anatomy. If there are defects in the wood, for example, if it was cut or pushed with a bulldozer, that will be an indication. If the bulldozer was used, we will know where the incident occurred," he said.
Related news: West Sumatra to rehabilitate 25,000 hectares of flood-damaged land
Related news: BNPB estimates Sumatra flood recovery cost at US$3.1 billion
Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
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