Illegal Mining in IKN Area Uncovered, IKN Authority Speaks Out

The Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) Authority has spoken out regarding illegal mining activities in the IKN area, including in the Tahura Bukit Soeharto conservation forest area. The Head of the Legal and Compliance Work Unit (UKHK) of the IKN Authority, who is also the Chair of the Task Force for Tackling Illegal Activities in the IKN Area, Agung Dodit Muliawan, emphasised that the IKN Authority has taken various steps to eradicate illegal activities in the IKN area since 2023. “Since 2023, we have formed an inter-ministerial and institutional task force to conduct surveillance, enforcement, and law enforcement against various illegal activities in the IKN area, including in Tahura Bukit Soeharto,” said Agung Dodit in the Core Government Centre Area, IKN, quoted on Tuesday (12/05/2026). The Task Force for Tackling Illegal Activities in the IKN Area involves various elements, including the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry/BPLH, Kodam VI/Mulawarman, the East Kalimantan Regional Police, the East Kalimantan High Prosecutor’s Office, Mulawarman University, the East Kalimantan Provincial Government, the Kutai Kartanegara Regency Government, and the Penajam Paser Utara Regency Government. In its implementation, the task force has carried out several enforcements against illegal activities in the Tahura area and other forest areas in IKN. Some of them include handling cases of illegal coal transportation that have reached P21 status, closing illegal mines in Bukit Tengkorak, handling illegal mining behind RS Samboja by the East Kalimantan Police, and handling cases of mining and illegal coal sales in Samboja by the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency. In addition, the task force has also enforced against the transportation of illegal coal using seven trucks and illegal coal transportation to a jetty, which has been handed over to the relevant law enforcement authorities. Agung Dodit emphasised that the Tahura Bukit Soeharto area is a conservation forest area that legally cannot be used for any form of mining activities. “We are committed to protecting this conservation area from all forms of encroachment and illegal mining activities. Law enforcement will continue to be carried out without exception,” he asserted. The IKN Authority is also actively conducting outreach to the community and opening dialogue channels to seek solutions for activities that have already existed before the establishment of IKN. In the future, the IKN Authority will increase patrol frequency, strengthen law enforcement, continue legal processes against all illegal activities, and involve the community as monitoring partners through the official IKN Authority reporting channels.