Satgas PKH Thwarts Illegal Smuggling of Trillion-Rupiah Minerals and Coal in Riau Islands

JAKARTA - The Forest Area Clearance Task Force (Satgas PKH) thwarted an attempt to smuggle illegal strategic minerals and coal (minerba) in the Riau Islands waters.

The operation was conducted jointly with the Indonesian National Armed Forces Navy (TNI AL) and the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung RI).

Authorities seized 390 tonnes of illegal materials loaded in 25 containers, which are strongly suspected to contain valuable raw materials including rare earth elements (REEs) and radioactive substances.

The seized materials, aboard the TB Capricorn 106 / TK Capricorn 92.210 vessel, were secured at the Batam IV Naval Regional Command (Kodaeral) dock.

The inspection was conducted alongside the Special Crimes Prosecutor (Jampidsus), Satgas PKH Chairman Febrie Adriansyah, and the Indonesian Fleet Commander (Pangkoarmada RI) TNI AL Denih Hendrata.

‘Satgas PKH, alongside the military and Attorney General’s Office, successfully thwarted the illegal smuggling of mineral and coal commodities worth trillions of rupiah in the Riau Islands waters,’ Richard stated in a written release on Thursday (28 May 2026).

The smuggling thwarting operation was carried out by the Indonesian Fleet Command (Koarmada RI) via the KRI Kujang-642 under the Operational Control (BKO) of the First Fleet Maritime Security Group (Guskamla) on 17 May 2026.

Ilmenite samples were taken from 15 containers, which were scientifically proven to contain valuable strategic elements including Titanium Oxide, Zirconium Oxide, Thorium Oxide, Neodymium Oxide, Triuranium Octoxide, and Cerium Oxide.

The materials are known to have significant potential as raw materials for high-tech industries and the nuclear sector.