December 31, 2025 | 11:16 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s National Police Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) is preparing to launch a formal investigation into alleged environmental damage in the Garoga River Basin, which authorities believe contributed to deadly flooding in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra.
The investigation aims to identify suspects linked to the presence of large logs that were swept downstream during the floods and caused widespread destruction.
“We are preparing to elevate this case to the investigation stage to determine suspects,” said Brigadier General Mohammad Irhamni, Director of Special Crimes at Bareskrim, at police headquarters on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
Irhamni said the investigation is expected to begin next week or in early January 2026. To date, police have questioned 18 witnesses in connection with the logs that were carried by floodwaters and destroyed homes in South Tapanuli and neighboring Central Tapanuli.
Investigators are focusing on potential corporate liability. Among the companies questioned is PT Tri Bahtera Srikandi (TBS), which operates four land-clearing sites near the flood zone, covering a total area of 63 hectares. Two of the sites, spanning 36 hectares, are located on steep slopes leading directly into the Garoga River Basin.
Authorities suspect that land clearing at these locations triggered landslides and contributed to the volume of timber carried by the floodwaters into residential areas.
Police have questioned PT TBS management, seized two excavators and one bulldozer from the company’s sites, and confirmed that the case has entered the formal investigation stage.
The Garoga River Basin has been designated as the primary crime scene, as investigators believe the logs, allegedly resulting from negligent environmental practices, played a major role in the destruction.
The floods have claimed at least 47 lives, with 22 people still reported missing, while more than 50 houses were swept away by waters laden with large logs.
The investigation is being conducted under Indonesia’s environmental crime provisions, including Article 109 in conjunction with Articles 98 and 99 of Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management.
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