Forest Crime Law Enforcement and the Authority of Forest Police in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi

Gladi Angel Ria  Dendape; Linda Lidia Imon

doi:10.71435/722570

Authors

Gladi Angel Ria Dendape Indonesian Development University of Manadouthor’s Institution
Linda Lidia Imon Indonesian Development University of Manadouthor’s Institution

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71435/722570

Keywords:

Forest Crime, Forest Police Authority, Illegal Logging, Forest Destruction Law Enforcement

Abstract

Forest destruction remains a critical legal and environmental challenge in Indonesia, particularly where illegal logging, forest burning, unauthorized mining, and unlawful plantation activities threaten sustainable forest governance. This study examines the authority of Forest Police in enforcing criminal law against forest destruction in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi. The research applies a normative legal method supported by limited empirical information from relevant forestry institutions. Legal materials were examined through statutory, conceptual, and qualitative juridical analysis, focusing on forestry legislation, environmental law, criminal procedure, and regulations concerning Forest Police and Civil Servant Investigators. The findings show that Indonesian forestry law categorizes forest destruction into multiple criminal offences, including damaging forest-protection facilities, illegal timber harvesting, transporting forest products without valid documents, unlawful mining, forest burning, document falsification, corporate timber laundering, obstruction of enforcement, and abuse of authority by officials. Law No. 18 of 2013 substantially expands criminal liability by addressing organized forest crime, corporate involvement, illicit financing, and misuse of forest permits. Forest Police hold pre-emptive, preventive, and repressive authority, including patrol, document inspection, evidence collection, arrest in flagrante delicto, and investigation when appointed as Civil Servant Investigators. Effective enforcement depends on coordinated investigation with the National Police, procedural compliance, and strengthened institutional capacity.

References

Al-Sherman, N., & Aldabousi, A. M. (2024). The Complementary Penalties Enforced to Combat Corporate Crimes in UAE Law. Pakistan Journal of Criminology, 16(3).

Alhalalmeh, A., & Al-Tarawneh, A. (2025). The interplay between social norms and legal regulation: exploring the impact on individual behavior and society. In From Machine Learning to Artificial Intelligence: The Modern Machine Intelligence Approach for Financial and Economic Inclusion (pp. 1451-1462). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76011-2_110

Apaut, Y. C., & Saunoah, E. (2025). The Role of Legal Philosophy in Building a Fair and Just Legal System (Examining the Legal System in Lawrence M. Fiedman's theory). Jurnal Restorasi: Hukum dan Politik, 3(2), 176-187.

Begazo-Curie, K., & Vranken, L. (2025). Forests’ contribution to rural livelihoods and food security: Insights from a study case in the Peruvian Amazon. Food Security, 17(2), 387-403.

Berenschot, W., Aspinall, E., Colchester, M., & MacInnes, A. (2023). Forest politics in Indonesia. Forest People Programme. https://www. arcusfoundation. org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Forest-Politics-in-Indonesia. pdf.

Bilu, R., Yusoff, H., & Mohamed, I. S. (2025). Green criminology in Malaysia’s palm oil industry: deforestation, ecological footprints, and corporate environmental responsibility. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 32(9), 4934-4948. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35795-1

Cetera, K., & Nagara, G. (2025). Illegal Timber Trade as a Transnational Crime: Driving External Measures to Enhance Enforcement in Indonesia. Transnational Criminal Law Review, 4(2).

Dekiawati, E. S. (2022). Law Enforcement of Illegal Logging in Indonesia: Problems and Challenges in Present and the Future. Indonesian Journal of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development, 1(1), 47-68. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijel.v1i1.21822

Djafar, E. M., Widayanti, T. F., Saidi, M. D., Muin, A. M., & Ratnawati. (2023, May). Forest management to Achieve Sustainable Forestry Policy in Indonesia. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 1181, No. 1, p. 012021). IOP Publishing.

Egger, P., Syropoulos, C., & Yotov, Y. V. (2024). Analyzing the effects of economic sanctions: Recent theory, data, and quantification. Review of international economics, 32(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/roie.12724

Fassnacht, F. E., White, J. C., Wulder, M. A., & Næsset, E. (2024). Remote sensing in forestry: current challenges, considerations and directions. Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research, 97(1), 11-37.

Flora, H. S., & Erawati, R. D. (2023). The Orientation and Implications of New Criminal Code: An Analysis of Lawrence Friedman's Legal System. Jurnal IUS Kajian Hukum Dan Keadilan, 11(1), 113-125. https://doi.org/10.29303/ius.v11i1.1169

Gavrilov, B. Y. (2022). Criminal Law Sanctions for Corruption-Related Crimes: an Opinion of the Scientific Community and a View of the Law Enforcement Officer. Пенитенциарная наука, 16(4 (60)(eng)), 388-396.

Hamide, S., Mia, M. T., & Huda, M. N. (2025). ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY AND THE APPLICATION OF GREEN CRIMINOLOGY IN BANGLADESH: EXAMINING LEGAL GAPS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

Hanifah, M., & Adil, M. (2025). Legal Culture and Law Enforcement in Indonesia: A Normative Juridical Perspective. Eduvest-Journal of Universal Studies, 5(6), 6332-6341.

Harly, L. N. B. (2023). Sustainable forest management from the perspective of customary law in Indonesia: a case study in the Bayan community. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(1), 32-42. https://doi.org/10.55681/ijssh.v1i1.324

Hatta, M., Subaidi, J., Afrizal, T. Y., Ramadhan, A. F., & Novtika, N. (2026). EMPOWERING PAWANG UTEUN (LOCAL FOREST HANDLERS) AS CUSTOMARY INSTITUTIONS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL LOGGING IN NORTH ACEH DISTRICT. UUM Journal of Legal Studies, 17(1), 61-77. https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2026.17.1.4

Hidayat, M. R., Suteki, S., & Mahoro, J. C. G. (2024). Legal wisdom in Indonesian legal system: Toward progressive law enforcement. JUSTISI, 10(3), 518-534.

Hoffman, K. M., Christianson, A. C., Dickson-Hoyle, S., Copes-Gerbitz, K., Nikolakis, W., Diabo, D. A., ... & Daniels, L. D. (2022). The right to burn: barriers and opportunities for Indigenous-led fire stewardship in Canada. Facets, 7(1), 464-481. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2021-0062

Hoops, B. (2022). What if the Black Forest owned itself? A constitutional property law perspective on rights of nature. Transnational Environmental Law, 11(3), 475-500. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102522000322

Hutajulu, S. M. (2025). The Position of Legal Culture in the Legal System and Social Life. International Journal of Economic, Technology and Social Sciences (Injects), 6(2), 385-391.

Ifeanyichukwu, O., Mustapha, A., Edafe, U., & Hussaini, H. A. (2023). Security check points and police extortion: A study of road transport corridors in Imo State, Nigeria. Sch Int J Law Crime Justice, 6(10), 522-533.

Iordăchescu, G., & Vasile, M. (2023). Forests of fear: illegal logging, criminalization, and violence in the carpathian mountains. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 113(9), 2108-2125. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2023.2209631

Kärner, M. (2022). Interplay between European Union criminal law and administrative sanctions: Constituent elements of transposing punitive administrative sanctions into national law. New Journal of European Criminal Law, 13(1), 42-68.

Kilonzo, C., & Bakta, S. (2025). Combating Illegal Logging to Mitigate Climate Change Impact in Tanzania: A Quest for Sustainable Solutions. Journal of Contemporary African Legal Studies, 2(1), 75-92. https://doi.org/10.70564/jcals.v2i1.76

Koningisor, C. (2023). Police secrecy exceptionalism. Colum. L. Rev., 123, 615.

Lestarini, R. (2023). The Sociological Perspective on The Study of The Living Law: Is It a Part of Legal Discipline or Social Discipline?. Jurnal IUS Kajian Hukum Dan Keadilan, 11(3), 448-464.

Licht, A. N. (2024). Culture and law in corporate governance. European Corporate Governance Institute-Law Working Paper, (777).

Mechik, E., & Von Hauff, M. (2022). The fight against deforestation of tropical forests—the contribution of the blockchain-based contract management method to minimize illegal logging. In Climate and development (pp. 439-463). https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811240553_0014

Moin, M. A. (2024). The Terror of Maximum Pressure Sanctions. Public Affairs Quarterly, 38(4), 293-314. https://doi.org/10.5406/21520542.38.4.02

Musafir, M., Sofyan, A. M., Haeranah, H., Malarangan, K., & Triasari, D. (2025). Conceptualizing Criminal Fine Enforcement in Indonesia’s Forestry Sector through Ecological Restoration. Journal of Law, Environmental and Justice, 3(3), 542-571.

Nduguta, R. N. (2025). Assessment of Illegal Forest Activities Distribution and Affected Tree Species in the Aberdare Ranges, Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, Kenyatta University).

Nursamsi, I., Phinn, S. R., Levin, N., Luskin, M. S., & Sonter, L. J. (2024). Remote sensing of artisanal and small-scale mining: A review of scalable mapping approaches. Science of the Total Environment, 951, 175761.

Paredes, M., Gianella, C., & Olivera, S. (2024). Corrupting climate change institutions from the inside Systemic Collusion in the Peruvian Forest Governance. Political Geography, 108, 102991.

Phyo, M. Z., Aung, T. S., & Liu, X. (2026). Challenges and Weaknesses of Myanmar Forest Certification Sector. Forests, 17(1), 115.

Pierson, D., Anderson, N., Brewen, J., Clark, N., Hardy, M. C., McCollum, D., ... & Tirocke, J. (2024). Beyond the basics: a perspective on barriers and opportunities for scaling up biochar production from forest slash. Biochar, 6(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-023-00290-2

Prins, K., Köhl, M., & Linser, S. (2023). Is the concept of sustainable forest management still fit for purpose?. Forest Policy and Economics, 157, 103072.

Pulhin, J. M., Ramirez, M. A. M., Garcia, J. E., Pangilinan, M. J. Q., Evaristo, M. B. S., Catudio, M. L. R. O., ... & Mariano, B. J. S. (2024). Contextualizing sustainable forest management and social justice in community-based forest management (CBFM) program in the Philippines. Trees, Forests and People, 16, 100589.

Sandhya, P., Ganesan, R., Rama Parvathy, L., Srivats, R., Kalyanasundaram, V., & Singh, A. (2026). Prohibition of Illegal Movement of Sandalwood from Reserve Forests through Retracing Supply Chain on a Permissioned Blockchain. Harvesting Data: Blockchain, AI and Advanced Innovations in Agriculture, 207-234. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394310630.ch10

Shytov, A. (2023). Law as an instrument of forest destruction in Russia. Trees, Forests and People, 12, 100399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2023.100399

Sihombing, B. F. (2024). Indonesian law: Development and renewal. Beijing L. Rev., 15, 1.

Udin, M. M., & Manam, A. R. (2024). CORRUPTION'S IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT: A CASE STUDY IN THE STATE OF PERAK.

Villanueva, F. D. P., Tegegne, Y. T., Winkel, G., Cerutti, P. O., Ramcilovic-Suominen, S., McDermott, C. L., ... & Giessen, L. (2023). Effects of EU illegal logging policy on timber-supplying countries: A systematic review. Journal of environmental management, 327, 116874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116874

von Essen, M., Carlson, K. M., Ordway, E. M., Sonwa, D. J., & Boyd, W. (2025). Barriers to Using Remote Sensing Data and Tools for Forest Governance in the Tropics. Available at SSRN 5141463.

Wexler, R. (2024). Law enforcement privilege. Mich. L. Rev., 123, 1391.

Wijayanto, A., Wiraraja, H. A., & Idris, S. A. (2022). Forest fire and environmental damage: The Indonesian legal policy and law enforcement. Unnes Law Journal, 8(1), 105-132.

Wuryandari, U. S. W., Chairani, A. D., & Safitri, M. A. (2022). Weak investment law enforcement in land and forest fire cases in Indonesia. Substantive Justice International Journal of Law, 5(2), 205-215. https://doi.org/10.56087/substantivejustice.v5i2.204

Zvîncă, A. M., Petruc, S. I., Bogdan, R., Marcu, M., & Popa, M. (2025). TreeHelper: A Wood Transport Authorization and Monitoring System. Sensors, 25(21), 6713. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25216713