Batam and Bintan blackout investigation names five suspects

The Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) has named five suspects following a major power outage that affected Batam and Bintan in the Riau Islands on October 12, 2026. The suspects include four employees from the state electricity company, PLN, and one contractor identified as AEP.

Investigators allege that the PLN employees were negligent in securing the substation area, which allowed wild animals to enter the high-voltage zone. The contractor, AEP, is accused of failing to maintain an electrified perimeter fence intended to keep wildlife out. The failure of this fence reportedly allowed animals to access the substation, leading to a short circuit.

Police are also investigating potential sabotage and the possibility that CCTV cameras at the Sei Harapan Substation were deliberately repositioned to hide activity. Authorities are examining why a single short circuit at Transformer 1 triggered a widespread blackout across the region, despite the presence of circuit breakers designed to prevent such systemic failures. The incident has resulted in estimated state losses of Rp 57.3 billion.