Forestry Ministry Uncovers Illegal Mining Distribution Route in NTB, Eight Detained
LOMBOK – A joint team comprising the Ministry of Forestry, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri) and the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has detained eight people suspected of illegal mining within the Tanjung Tampa Nature Tourism Park (TWA) conservation area at Gunung Prabu, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
The Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Forestry, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, said his office had uncovered the suspected transport of illegally mined material from the TWA Tanjung Tampa conservation area in Kuta Village, Pujut Sub-district, Central Lombok Regency.
“During the operation, the team secured eight people suspected of involvement in transporting the material, 157 sacks of rock containing gold, one dump truck, one pickup vehicle and other items of evidence used in the activity,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday (22/7/2026).
He stressed that the uncovering demonstrated an alleged route for transporting mining material out of the conservation area by sea and land.
“The material is believed to have been carried by wooden boat from around the mining site, then transferred to land vehicles to be taken to another location,” he revealed.
Januanto said 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 local residents about vehicles repeatedly transporting sacks of rock material from around the Gunung Prabu area.
Following up on the report, officers monitored the suspected loading and unloading point and found material being transferred 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, managing to stop both vehicles in Ketara Village, Pujut Sub-district. An inspection revealed hundreds of sacks of rock material suspected to contain gold.
“All those detained, along with the evidence, were handed over to the Forestry Law Enforcement Centre for the Java-Bali-Nusa Tenggara Region to undergo legal proceedings in accordance with applicable regulations,” he explained.
Januanto said investigators are still examining the role of each party, the origin of the material, the ownership of the transport vehicles, the intended delivery destination, and the possible involvement of other parties who ordered, financed, harboured, received or profited from the illegal mining activity.
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 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 Penalty Adjustments, in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code.
“The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of ten years and/or a fine in category VI of up to Rp2 billion. The legal status and responsibility of each party will be determined based on the examination results and evidence obtained by investigators,” he said.
Furthermore, he affirmed that the protection of conservation areas forms part of the state’s commitment to safeguarding the sustainability of natural resources and ensuring that protected spaces must not become objects of illegal exploitation.
“Conservation areas are established to protect Indonesia’s natural wealth and to ensure its benefits continue to be enjoyed by both present and future generations,” he said.