Indonesia cracks down on illegal forest clearing in Bengkalis and Bandung

Police in Bengkalis, Riau province, arrested a man identified as ADI after investigators linked him to the illegal clearing of about 20 hectares of permanent production forest within the concession of PT Sekato Pratama Makmur. The activity began in late May 2026 and was first detected when the company's patrol team heard chainsaw and heavy‑machinery noise, later confirmed by drone surveillance. ADI was detained on July 31, 2026.

In Bandung, West Java, Mayor Muhammad Farhan inspected a site on Jalan LLRE Martadinata where ten trees had been cut down to make way for a new padel court named SixNine. The mayor said the felling was illegal, threatened to shut the facility and pursued criminal charges, noting that the trees were on public roadside space and that the act violated environmental regulations overseen by the Ministry of Environment and the provincial government.