Forestry Ministry Busts Illegal Gold Mining Ring in West Nusa Tenggara Conservation Area
A joint team from the Ministry of Forestry, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, and the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has apprehended eight individuals suspected of illegally mining and transporting gold-bearing material from the Taman Wisata Alam (TWA) Tanjung Tampa conservation area on Gunung Prabu, West Nusa Tenggara.
Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Forestry, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, stated that the operation uncovered the transportation of mining material from the conservation zone in Kuta Village, Pujut District, Central Lombok Regency. “During the operation, the team secured eight individuals suspected of transporting the material, 157 sacks of gold-bearing rock, one dump truck, one pickup vehicle, and other pieces of evidence used in the activity,” he said in a statement received in Mataram on Tuesday (21/7).
Nugroho emphasised that the discovery points to a suspected transportation route for mining material from the conservation area via sea and land. “The material is suspected to have been transported using wooden boats from near the mining site, then transferred to land vehicles to be taken to another location,” he explained.
The investigation is now focused on uncovering the entire chain of activity, from the extraction of material in the conservation area to the parties receiving and profiting from the illegal mining proceeds. The case came to light after the team received public information about vehicles repeatedly transporting sacks of rock material from the Gunung Prabu area. Following up on the report, officers conducted surveillance at the suspected loading point on the coast of Kuta Village and observed the transfer of material from a wooden boat to a dump truck and a pickup vehicle. The team then tailed and intercepted the vehicles in Ketara Village, Pujut District, discovering hundreds of sacks of rock material suspected to contain gold.
“All detained individuals and evidence have been handed over to the Forestry Law Enforcement Centre for the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara region to undergo legal proceedings in accordance with applicable regulations,” Nugroho stated. He added that investigators are currently examining the roles of each party, the origin of the material, ownership of the transport vehicles, the intended delivery destination, and the possible involvement of other parties who ordered, financed, stored, received, or profited from the illegal mining activities.
The suspects are charged under Article 90 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 17 paragraph (1) letter c of Law Number 18 of 2013 on the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, as amended by Law Number 6 of 2023 and adjusted through Law Number 1 of 2026 on Criminal Adjustments, in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code. “They face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and/or a maximum fine of category VI, amounting to IDR 2 billion. The determination of legal status and accountability for each party will be based on the results of the examination and evidence obtained by investigators,” he said.
Nugroho further stressed that the protection of conservation areas is part of the state’s commitment to safeguarding the sustainability of natural resources and ensuring that protected spaces are not subjected to illegal exploitation. “Conservation areas are established to protect Indonesia’s natural wealth and ensure that its benefits can be enjoyed by current and future generations,” he concluded.