State Seizes 275-Hectare Gold Mine

The Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH) has closed an illegal gold mine covering 275.36 hectares and operated by PT Kristalin Ekalestari. The site is in Makimi District, Nabire Regency, Central Papua. The action is part of law enforcement against unlicensed mining in forest areas.

The enforcement action was carried out under Presidential Regulation No. 5 of 2025. Kristalin Ekalestari’s Mining Business Licence (IUP) was also formally revoked under a decision by the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), No. 20261012-01-0001, dated 12 October 2026.

Defence Minister and Satgas PKH Steering Committee Chair Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said efforts to shut down illegal mines would continue despite challenges and resistance. He said the task force’s work remained grounded in national unity and Presidential Regulation No. 5 of 2025.

“We remain committed to carrying out the PKH task. We recognise that there has been considerable resistance, but, with national unity and Presidential Regulation No. 5 of 2025 as our basis, God willing, we will resolve everything,” Sjafrie said in a written statement quoted on Friday (23 October 2026).

To be handed to Antam

Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin said the gold-mine area taken over by the state would be managed by state-owned enterprise PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam).

Antam is expected to act not only as an investor but also as the operator. The arrangement is intended to benefit the public.

“We will hand this mining operation to a state-owned enterprise, in this case PT Antam. We hope that Antam will not only be an investor, but also the operator, so that it is genuinely managed by the state for the prosperity of the people,” Burhanuddin said.