Forestry Ministry Uncovers Illegal Mining Distribution Route in NTB, Eight Detained

A joint team comprising elements from the Ministry of Forestry, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, and the Natural Resources Conservation Agency has detained eight individuals suspected of illegal mining in the Tanjung Tampa Nature Tourism Park conservation area, Gunung Prabu, West Nusa Tenggara. Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Forestry, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, stated that the operation uncovered the suspected transportation of illegally mined material from the conservation area in Kuta Village, Pujut District, Central Lombok Regency. ‘In the operation, the team detained eight people suspected of involvement in transporting the material, seized 157 sacks of gold-bearing rock, one dump truck, one pickup vehicle, and other evidence used in the activity,’ he said in Jakarta on Wednesday. He emphasised that this discovery indicates 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 around the mining site, then transferred to land vehicles to be taken to another location,’ he revealed. Nugroho stated that the investigation is now directed at uncovering the entire chain of activity, from the extraction of material in the conservation area to the parties receiving and benefiting from the mining proceeds. According to him, the case came to light after the team received information from the public about vehicles repeatedly transporting sacks of rock material from around the Gunung Prabu area. Following up on the report, officers conducted surveillance at the suspected loading and unloading point, subsequently discovering the transfer of material from a wooden boat to a dump truck and a pickup vehicle on the coast of Kuta Village. After the vehicles left the location, the team tailed and intercepted them, successfully stopping both vehicles in Ketara Village, Pujut District. An inspection revealed hundreds of sacks of rock material suspected to contain gold. ‘All detained individuals along with the 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,’ he explained. Nugroho stated that investigators are currently probing the roles of each party, the origin of the material, ownership of the transport facilities, the intended delivery destination, and the possible involvement of other parties who ordered, financed, stored, received, or profited from the illegal mining activities. He said the perpetrators are charged under Article 90 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 17 paragraph (1) letter c of Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, as amended by Law Number 6 of 2023 and adjusted through Law Number 1 of 2026 concerning Criminal Adjustments, in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code. ‘They face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and/or a maximum fine of category VI, amounting to Rp2 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. He further stressed that the protection of conservation areas is part of the state’s commitment to safeguarding the sustainability of natural resources and providing certainty that protected spaces must not become objects of illegal exploitation. ‘Conservation areas are established to protect Indonesia’s natural wealth and ensure that its benefits can continue to be enjoyed by current and future generations,’ he stated.