Bareskrim names 5 suspects in Batam-Bintan blackout
Four PLN Batam employees and one contractor face criminal exposure after state losses were estimated at Rp57,3 miliar.
Bareskrim Polri has named five suspects in the blackout case that cut electricity to Batam and Bintan on 12 October 2026. Four of the suspects are from PLN Batam: RB, ZR, DA, and AWD, while the other suspect is a contractor identified as AEP. Investigators concluded there was negligence in securing the Sei Harapan Substation in Sekupang, allowing a monkey to enter the Trafo 1 area and trigger a short circuit. The protection system also allegedly did not work at full capacity, causing the disruption to spread and the generating unit to disconnect from the system. Bareskrim questioned 25 witnesses and tested forensic evidence, including hair samples on the buchholz pipe that were said to match the monkey found at the site. Police estimate state losses at Rp57,3 miliar and have charged the suspects under Article 319 of the Criminal Code and provisions in the Electricity Law.