Yogi Eka Sahputra, Batam – The Environment and Forestry (KLHK) Ministry's Director General of Law Enforcement Rasio Ridho Sani said the ministry has named a suspect in the illegal export of mangrove charcoal in Batam.
"We will soon release the name of the suspect," Ridho said after joining the inspection of illegal shrimp ponds in Batam City on Wednesday, July 5.
The suspect is the owner of a mangrove charcoal exporting company located in Barelang, Batam. "I can't release it (the suspect's name) now. Let's wait for the release in Batam. The perpetrator has been detained here," he added.
At present, the KLHK Ministry is conducting an evaluation of the mangrove charcoal business activities taking place in Batam. "The important thing is that illegal acts must be stopped," Ridho emphasized.
Mangrove charcoal exported to Saudi Arabia
On January 25, 2023, delegates from the House of Representatives (DPR), the KLHK Ministry, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), and other related agencies launched unannounced inspections of mangrove charcoal export companies in Batam, Riau Islands.
At least three illegal storages of the commodity have been sealed. The commodity would be exported to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. Every month, at least one export company could ship up to 30 containers of finished product or equal to 24,000 sacks through official ports.
The entrepreneurs purchased these mangrove stems for Rp5,000 per kilogram from loggers. The mangrove wood comes from several regions, including Meranti, Tanjung Balai Karimun, and Batam.
Rasio added that this export company is located in production forest areas without any operating permits. They violated at least the Law on Environmental Protection and Management and the Forestry Law.
Founder of an environmental NGO, Akar Bhumi Indonesia, Hendrik Hermawan said that the local government was caught off guard in this case because the storage of mangrove charcoal for export had been operating for decades.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1745510/klhk-names-suspect-in-illegal-export-of-mangrove-charcoal-in-bata