Illegal Gold Mining in North Sulawesi's Limited Production Forest Halted, Two Named Suspects
The Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Ditjen Gakkum) of the Ministry of Forestry has halted unlicensed gold mining (PETI) activities in the Mobungayom Limited Production Forest area in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi (Sulut).
Director General of Forest Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho said the operation was carried out after receiving reports of illegal mining activity within the forest area.
Armed with that information, he said a joint team from the Ministry of Forestry together with the TNI and National Police moved directly to the site. There, he said, they found mining activity still under way with a number of heavy machines.
“When the team arrived, the mining activity was still ongoing. An excavator was seen scooping material inside the forest area, while a number of workers were around the location,” he said in a written statement on Sunday (26/7).
Dwi explained that during the operation, officers arrested five people in total: MAS as the excavator operator, APM as the helper, SH as the person in charge of the operation, RL as the supervisor, and NM who prepared logistics for the workers.
He said that following a case review, the authorities then named two people as suspects, namely MAS and SH. Both were charged under Article 78 paragraph (3) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (2) letter a of Law Number 41 of 1999 on Forestry, which carries a maximum prison sentence of ten years and a maximum fine of Rp7.5 billion.
“The investigation is still being developed to uncover the possible involvement of other parties who played a role in the illegal mining activity,” he said.
“One excavator unit used as a means of conducting the mining was also secured as evidence and removed from the forest area for investigative purposes,” he added.
Dwi said the law enforcement effort was carried out in accordance with the instructions of the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, to strengthen the protection of forest areas in order to safeguard the sustainability of Indonesia’s natural resources.
He added that law enforcement against illegal activities aims not only to stop violations but also to preserve the ecological functions of forest areas and prevent repeated damage.
“Protecting the sustainability of forest ecosystems is a shared responsibility. Therefore, the Ministry of Forestry continues to strengthen prevention, surveillance, and law enforcement efforts against every illegal activity in forest areas,” he concluded.