Fact Check: Sumatra Blackout Not Linked to Nuclear Material Smuggling

A social media post circulating in early June 2026 falsely claimed that the Sumatra island blackout on May 22, 2026, was deliberately staged to facilitate the smuggling of nuclear materials worth trillions of rupiah into the Riau Islands. The post included a video depicting the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian National Armed Forces inspecting mineral containers seized by the Indonesian Navy.

However, Tempo's fact-check revealed that the two incidents are unrelated. An investigation by the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) found no evidence of sabotage or intentional action behind the Sumatra blackout. "To date, we can confirm that there are no indications of sabotage or deliberate action in the blackout," stated Inspector General Nunung Syaifuddin, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Investigation Unit, on May 25, 2026.

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To date, we can confirm that there are no indications of sabotage or deliberate action in the blackout.

Police, along with the National Police Forensic Laboratory Center and PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), investigated the site of the power outage, specifically the extra high-voltage overhead line (SUTET) 175-176 in Muaro Jambi Regency, Jambi. The severed cables were sent for analysis. PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo officially stated that the widespread power outage, which began on the evening of May 22, 2026, affecting provinces including Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, and Jambi, was caused by severe weather impacting the Sumatran electricity system.

The video accompanying the false claim was verified to be identical to uploads from Kompas TV and TvOneNews on May 28, 2026. This footage showed Lieutenant General Richard Tampubolon, Chief of Staff of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, inspecting a mineral container seized by the Indonesian Navy at the Kodaeral IV Pier in Batam, Riau Islands. This inspection followed a report from Indonesian Navy investigators regarding the operation of a mineral transport vessel on May 17, 2026, a separate event from the power outage.

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The mass power outage in Sumatra on Friday, May 22, 2026, starting at 6:44 PM Western Indonesian Time, was caused by bad weather that impacted parts of the Sumatran electricity system.