January 6, 2026 | 06:21 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Criminal Investigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim) is investigating illegal logging in Aceh Tamiang. Brigadier General Mohammad Irhamni, Director of Specific Criminal Acts at Bareskrim, suspects that logging in protected forests has occurred for over 20 years.
"The logging started 25 years ago. The actions taken 20 years, 10 years, and 5 years ago have consequences today," Irhamni stated in East Aceh on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Irhamni noted that the logging likely happened in two protected areas. These sites are the Serbajadi and Simpang Jernih protected forests in East Aceh. Bareskrim is currently searching for the main actors behind these operations.
He personally inspected the headwaters of the Tamiang River. Tempo joined the team to monitor the river flow by speedboat. Along the riverbanks in Simpang Jernih, they saw numerous oil palm plantations.
Flash floods also hit these oil palm plantations, turning the land into a deep mud pool. While some trees collapsed, most remained standing in the sludge. Experts suspect companies committed environmental violations by opening land so close to the river, worsening sedimentation.
In addition to the plantations, landslides were visible at many points along the river hills. These landslides sent massive amounts of soil into the water. This mud eventually flowed downstream and buried the residents' houses.
Read: Aceh Tamiang Regent Asks Prabowo for Housing and Cash Aid
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