Palm Oil Theft at PT BSL Uncovered One Suspect Arrested Another Still on the Run
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| Sekadau Police arrest palm oil theft suspect at PT Bintang Sawit Lestari with evidence including a car and fresh fruit bunches. |
The Criminal Investigation Unit (Jatanras) of Sekadau Police has arrested a 25-year-old man identified as K, a resident of Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan, over an aggravated theft case involving fresh fruit bunches (FFB) of palm oil belonging to PT Bintang Sawit Lestari (BSL).
The arrest took place on Saturday afternoon (Aug 9, 2025) in Sekadau, following a theft that occurred in the early hours of Friday (Aug 1) at the loading area of Division I, Sungai Bala Hamlet, Tapang Perodah Village, Sekadau Hulu District.
Sekadau Police Criminal Investigation Unit Chief, First Inspector (IPTU) Zainal Abidin, revealed that the crime came to light when two company security guards discovered a brown metallic Toyota Calya stuck in a ditch.
The rear door of the car was open, with dozens of FFB inside, and more scattered along the road. “When security attempted to secure the vehicle, the suspects had already fled, leaving the car at the scene,” Zainal said on Sunday (Aug 10).
Based on the investigation, K was tracked down and apprehended on Saturday at around 1:30 p.m. During questioning, he admitted to committing the theft with an accomplice identified as H, who is still at large.
The vehicle they used was a rental car with the rear seats removed to load the stolen palm fruit. “While being chased by plantation workers, their car hit an embankment and was severely damaged, prompting both suspects to flee,” Zainal added. Police seized 25 FFB bunches, one Toyota Calya, and a weighing slip as evidence.
K is now in custody and has been charged under Article 363 paragraph (1) point 4 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) for aggravated theft.
Police are continuing their search for H to uncover possible links to a wider palm oil theft network in the region.
