Ministry Of Transportation Endus Illegal Gold Mining In TN Meru Betiri Jember, 4 Perpetrators Arrested

The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) has succeeded in uncovering illegal gold mining in the Meru Betiri National Park conservation area, Jember, East Java and securing six perpetrators.

Head of the Center for Forestry Law Enforcement for the Java-Bali Region, Southeast Nusa Tenggara (Jabalnusra) of the Ministry of Transportation Aswin Bangun in Jakarta, Friday, stated that illegal gold mining is a form of forestry crime that is organized and must be dealt with systematically.

"This law enforcement is not just a technical action. This is a symbol of the state's presence in maintaining the sovereignty of conservation areas and ensuring the people's right to a healthy environment from preserved nature. The state must not ignore when the forest is damaged, and must not remain silent when the common living space is threatened," he explained.

He said the illegal activities were successfully revealed starting from reports from the public and the results of intensive patrols around the river basin in the Meru Betiri National Park area.

The six perpetrators, namely H, S, ARF, AFK, AYB, and MH were arrested at the mine site on June 30, 2025 along with evidence in the form of gold tools, hammers, zinc plates, betel plates, tarpaulins, excavated rocks, and three motorcycles.

Their activities are suspected of causing serious damage to the soil structure, quality of river water, and habitat of protected animals.

He said he would continue to explore the possibility of illegal mining network investors and controllers behind the case, so that prosecution does not stop at the perpetrators of the field alone.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Meru Betiri National Park, RM Wiwied Widodo, explained that illegal mining is a direct threat to the conservation order and the lives of the surrounding community.

"National parks are living spaces together, not only for flora and fauna, but also for the buffer village community who have lived in harmony and helped maintain regional harmony. When illegal mining enters, the first to be affected is flora, fauna, and the buffer village community itself. The damaged is not only land and river, but also the balance that has been shared by nature and humans," he said.

He said that his party focused on two things, namely restoring the affected ecosystem, and strengthening the regional protection system through increasing integrated security patrols and the active involvement of local residents.

Meru Betiri, he said, is not just a protected area, it is a shared legacy that must be maintained, cared for, and inherited.