Joint Security Patrol Nabs Two Suspects for Stealing 1 Ton of Palm Oil in PTPN IV Torgamba Estate
TORGAMBA – A joint security patrol team has successfully foiled a theft attempt and arrested two suspects targeting oil palm Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) and loose fruits at the PTPN IV Regional I Torgamba Plantation area in South Labuhanbatu Regency (Labusel), North Sumatra.
The two suspects, identified as Budi and Bakti Ritonga—both residents of Baganbatu, Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau—were caught red-handed during an early morning operation on Monday.
The operation was carried out by a joint patrol team consisting of PTPN IV Torgamba security personnel, North Sumatra Regional Police Air and Marine Unit (Polairud), South Labuhanbatu Police (Polres Labusel), and Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel. The joint security force intercepted the perpetrators around 04:00 AM WIB as they were operating across Afdeling II and Afdeling III of the estate.
During the arrest, security forces secured approximately one ton of stolen palm oil products (comprising fresh fruit bunches harvested directly from the trees and loose fruits gathered from the ground), along with a motor vehicle/transport unit used without legal registration plates.
The suspects were temporarily held at the Torgamba Estate Security Post before being formally handed over to the Torgamba Sector Police (Polsek Torgamba) at around 07:00 AM WIB for further legal processing and investigation.
PTPN IV Regional I PalmCo has recently intensified its security surveillance across all operational zones in North Sumatra to safeguard company assets against recurring thefts. The strategic border region between South Labuhanbatu (North Sumatra) and Rokan Hilir (Riau) has long been identified as a vulnerable corridor for cross-border illegal harvesting and unlawful trade of palm oil products.
Local authorities and plantation management reaffirmed their zero-tolerance policy against plantation crime. Police are currently expanding their investigation to determine whether the suspects are linked to broader illegal palm oil trading networks (toke sawit ilegal) operating along the North Sumatra–Riau border.
