DNA Identification Reveals KM Arupadhatu Crew Member, Body Was Briefly Buried by Enggano Residents

The Banten Regional Police have confirmed that one of the crew members of KM Arupadhatu 1 who went missing in the Sunda Strait, Surakman, has been identified through DNA testing. The body of the man, who served as a crew member, was found by fishermen in the waters of Sawang Bengkok, Kahyapu Village, Enggano District, North Bengkulu Regency, on 12 September—five days after the ship carrying five journalists lost contact.

Before the official identification process, Surakman's body had in fact been buried by residents of Enggano Island. According to the Head of Public Relations of the Banten Regional Police, Kombes Maruli Hutapea, residents did not recognize the body and buried it because it was already decomposing. "None of the residents reported anyone missing, so the body was buried," Maruli said in a statement quoted from detikcom, Wednesday (23/9).

Banten Police Chief Irjen Hengki revealed that the discovery of the body began with a report from the Bengkulu Police Chief. The SAR team searching for eight missing people—five journalists and three crew members—received information about an unidentified person on Enggano Island. The body was then taken to Bhayangkara Hospital of the Bengkulu Regional Police for an autopsy and DNA sampling.

The identity matching process was carried out by the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Team of the National Police's Pusdokkes. They compared primary data from eight families who lost contact with the ship. "Genetically, the body is identified as Surakman, or a crew member of the ship," Hengki said in a press conference at the Banten Regional Police.

Surakman's body is planned to be repatriated to Jakarta on Thursday (24/9). The repatriation process will depart from the Dokkes Division of the Bengkulu Regional Police to Soekarno-Hatta Airport. Meanwhile, the large-scale SAR operation for the five journalists and three crew members of KM Arupadhatu 1 was officially halted on 17 September after 10 days of searching without significant results.

KM Arupadhatu 1 departed from Carita Pier, Pandeglang, on Monday (7/9) to cover the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau. The ship lost contact in the waters of the Sunda Strait. To date, the fate of the five journalists and two other crew members remains unknown. The discovery of Surakman's body is the only point of clarity in the mystery of the ship's disappearance.

"We received information from the Bengkulu Police Chief that a mysterious body was found on Enggano Island. After examination, the body was identified as Surakman," said Irjen Hengki.

This incident highlights the importance of maritime safety protocols, especially for crew members carrying groups of journalists to high-risk areas such as active volcanic zones. The Sunda Strait is known for its extreme weather and strong sea currents, which can change rapidly without warning. Although the SAR operation has been closed, the victims' families are still waiting for certainty regarding their members who have not been found.

Going forward, the public will be watching whether the government will evaluate the safety standards for tourist boats and journalistic expeditions in disaster-prone zones. In addition, transparency in the DNA identification process is crucial to ensure no victims are overlooked. The remaining question: will the search continue with other methods, or must the eight families accept the bitter reality without bodies that can be buried?