Indonesia Launches Investigation into Illegal Logging Amid Sumatra Disaster Response
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Indonesia’s national authorities are investigating potential links between illegal logging and the recent devastating floods in Sumatra, which have caused significant damage to infrastructure and resulted in loss of life. A joint task force, comprised of personnel from the National Police and the Ministry of Forestry, has been established following concerns raised directly to the President.
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo announced the formation of the task force during a press conference held at National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta. The investigation was prompted by the discovery of logs carried by flash floods in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
Presidential Attention and Collaborative Response
“In accordance with several findings which later came to the attention of the President, of course we welcome this and will collaborate with the Minister of Forestry and the team to assist the joint task force to carry out investigations related to the wood findings which are also thought to have had an impact on the damage and occurrence of several bridges, several houses and the resulting loss of life,” General Sigit stated. The investigation will focus on determining whether illegal logging activities contributed to the severity of the flooding and subsequent destruction.
Suspected Violations and Ongoing Research
Authorities suspect the presence of the logs indicates a violation of forestry regulations. General Sigit emphasized the need for a thorough investigation. “Because there are findings of wood which are suspected to be related to violations. Therefore, we will carry out an in-depth investigation first together with the team,” he explained.
Personnel have already been deployed to the affected regions to gather evidence and assess the extent of the damage. General Sigit indicated a willingness to collaborate with additional task forces to expedite the investigation. “In the past few days, we have deployed personnel and we will later join a team from the Ministry of Forestry if necessary with other task forces joining so that team work can be faster and we can provide information immediately,” he said.
The investigation comes as authorities also address a separate incident involving a ship carrying thousands of logs that ran aground in Lampung.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example_video_id
A video report details the grounding of a log-carrying vessel off the coast of Lampung.
The confluence of these events has heightened concerns about illegal logging practices and their potential impact on environmental stability and disaster resilience in Indonesia. The findings of the joint task force are expected to inform future policy decisions and enforcement efforts aimed at protecting Indonesia’s vital forest resources.
