Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Forestry has reclaimed 2,390 hectares of encroached forest land in the Seblat Landscape, Bengkulu, an area crucial for the survival of the critically endangered Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus).
The operation targets business networks behind the encroachment rather than local communities, Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho said on Saturday.
"Our enforcement focuses on landowners, financiers, and operators of heavy machinery," he said. "Cooperative residents are being guided to resolve land claims in accordance with legal procedures."
A joint task force involving the Sumatra Forestry Law Enforcement Agency, Kerinci Seblat National Park Authority, Bengkulu Natural Resources Conservation Agency, and the Bengkulu Provincial Forestry Office has identified around 6,000 hectares of encroached forest since the operation began on November 2.
By November 14, authorities had reclaimed nearly 40 percent of the affected area through field actions that included demolishing 59 illegal huts, destroying about 7,000 illicit oil palm trees, disrupting unauthorized access routes, and installing 27 warning signs to mark protected zones.
Heavy machinery used to clear and expand the encroached sites was seized, and four individuals were detained, including a contractor responsible for land clearing.
One landowner, identified by the initials SM, has been named a suspect, and case files are being prepared for prosecution by the Bengkulu High Prosecutor's Office.
Investigators are tracing the ownership chain by examining past landholders, suspected brokers, and those who built access roads using heavy equipment.
The ministry is also preparing administrative sanctions against business permit holders found to have violated forestry regulations.
Civil legal measures are being considered to ensure ecosystem restoration and recovery of state losses.
The operation follows directives from President Prabowo Subianto and aims to restore the Seblat Landscape, a strategic migratory corridor for elephants and an important resource for surrounding communities.
