Indonesian authorities have launched a full examination into the source of illegally logged timber found amidst the debris following recent devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra. A dedicated task force, utilizing satellite imagery, is working to pinpoint the origin of the logs and hold those responsible accountable, as concerns mount over the role of deforestation in exacerbating the disaster’s impact. The investigation encompasses Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces, with initial focus on eight companies operating within the Batang Toru River Basin.
Indonesian authorities are investigating the source of logs swept away by recent flooding and landslides in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. A special task force has been deployed to investigate potential illegal logging activity linked to the disaster, which has raised concerns about environmental damage and its contribution to the severity of the flooding.
“The forest area enforcement task force has been mobilized to trace the origin of the logs carried by the floodwaters,” Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno said Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta.
Officials are utilizing satellite imagery as part of the investigation, signaling a serious effort to identify and prosecute those allegedly involved in illegal logging operations in Sumatra.
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“The government is continuing to trace those suspected of wrongdoing through analysis of satellite imagery,” he added.
National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo stated that he has coordinated with the Forestry Ministry to launch a formal investigation. Police have not ruled out the possibility of legal action against anyone found to be involved in illegal logging.
“Regarding law enforcement related to the discovery of stripped logs, we have already coordinated verbally with the Ministry of Forestry,” Sigit said. “Tomorrow we will hold a meeting to deploy a joint team to investigate the events.”
“Of course, if there are legal violations, we will process them,” he affirmed.
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is currently working to determine the origin of the logs carried by the floods in Sumatra. Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has set a three-month deadline for completing the investigation.
“I’m asking for three months, hopefully no more than that. If it takes longer, we’ll forget about it. Usually, with disasters, once the land dries, we all forget,” Hanif said Tuesday, December 2, at the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Jakarta.
Eight companies operating in the Batang Toru River Basin in North Sumatra are expected to be questioned by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
Hanif said his team will review documents from the companies and he plans to visit the site where the logs were discovered in North Sumatra to assess the situation firsthand.
“God willing, I will go there on Thursday to take over the investigation and see the situation directly, so I can get a clearer picture of the case,” he explained.
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