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View all search resultsNine suspects named in encroachment, vandalism at Tesso Nilo National Park
Around 7,000 families are currently living illegally inside Tesso Nilo National Park, which is internationally recognized as a critical habitat for the endangered Sumatran tiger and elephant.
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Protesters stage a demonstration in front of the Riau Prosectuor's Office in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Nov. 20, 2025, rejecting the relocation of local communities residing within the Tesso Nilo National Park in the province to other areas. (JP/Rizal Harahap)
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uthorities have named nine individuals as suspects in separate cases of alleged land encroachment and vandalism of public property at Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau, amid ongoing efforts to relocate residents from the protected conservation area.
Deputy Riau Police chief Brig. Gen. Hengky Haryadi said three of the suspects, identified only as HMM, RPN and BS, were reported to authorities by the Tesso Nilo National Park Recovery Acceleration Team on Jan. 2. The trio is suspected of illegally occupying and cultivating more than 270 hectares of land within the national park.
“The three suspects are suspected of unlawfully acquiring the land and converting it into oil palm plantations,” Hengky said during a recent press briefing.
He added that investigators had questioned 19 witnesses, including expert witnesses, and had collected various documents to support the case.
Hengky said BS is a farmer from Rokan Hulu regency who allegedly controls about 180 ha of land across three hamlets within the national park. Meanwhile, HMM and RPN are local businessmen suspected of occupying 60 ha and 30 ha of land, respectively.
According to Hengky, the land was allegedly obtained through a combination of land grants, purchases of undeveloped plots from community figures and the acquisition of existing oil palm plantations.
The three suspects have been charged under Article 40 of the 2024 Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Ecosystems Law, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and fines of up to Rp 2 billion (US$119,391).
