Three Illegal Coal Miners In Bukit Soeharto Area Of IKN Nusantara Named As Suspects

Three people are suspected of illegally mining coal in the vicinity of the IKN location, namely at Tahura Bukit Soeharto in East Kalimantan. (ANTARA/Arumanto)

KALTIM - At least three people have been named suspects for illegal coal mining at Km 43 of the Bukit Soeharto Grand Forest Park, Samboja, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan (Kaltim). The location of the illegal mining is in the vicinity of the National Capital City (IKN) of the Archipelago.

The Directorate General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) detained the three people through an operation to crack down on illegal mining in the Bukit Soeharto Grand Forest Park (Tahura), Sunday, March 21, at 00.00 WITA.

During the operation, the Head of the KLHK's Balai Gakkum for the Kalimantan Region, Eduar Hutapea, said the KLHK Gakkum team managed to secure 11 suspected perpetrators with the initials M (60), ES (38), ES (34), AS (27), H (42), J (52), MS (42), Y (50), R (56), AJ (44), and IS (35) along with evidence in the form of two units of yellow LiuGong/Sany PC 200 Ex-75 excavators.

Furthermore, one notebook with a blue batik motif, two blue Borneo brand notes, one brown note book with Kiky brand batik motif, and one bag of coal samples.

Eduward Hutapea said that of the 11 people who were arrested, investigators finally named three suspects, namely M (60) who lives in Balikpapan as the field coordinator, ES (38) who lives in Kutai Kartanegara and ES (34). who resides in Kutai Kartanegara as an excavator heavy equipment operator.

“The suspect is suspected of violating Article 89 paragraph (1) letter b and/or a in conjunction with Article 17 paragraph (1) letter a and/or b of Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction in conjunction with Article 37 point 5 of Law Number 11 of 2020 regarding job creation, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 10 billion," said Eduar, as reported by Antara.

He said that currently the suspects are being held at the Tenggarong Police Retention Center, while the evidence includes two units of yellow LiuGong/Sany PC 200 Ex-75 excavators, one blue batik note book, two blue Borneo Cash Notes. One notebook with a brown Kiky motif, 1 unit of a HINO brand dumptruck, Green Police Number KT 8713 OS, and one bag of coal samples were secured at the LHK Balai Gakkum Office, Kalimantan Samarinda.

KLHK's Director General of Law Enforcement Ratio Ridho Sani said this action was part of the KLHK's commitment to securing the environment and forest areas in the National Capital Zone (IKN) of the Archipelago.

According to him, this illegal coal mining has caused damage to the environment and forests, threatened people's lives, and caused state losses.

He emphasized that we must act decisively on this crime, if this continues it will pose a threat to ecological disaster, public safety and threaten biodiversity.

"We will continue to improve the security of forest areas in the IKN zone and its surroundings," he said.

"We have been ordered by the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Dr. Siti Nurbaya, to increase environmental security and forest areas in the IKN zone to support the development of a forest city in IKN Nusantara," said Ratio Ridho Sani.

In the development of this case, said Ratio Ridho Sani again, his party has ordered investigators to reveal the involvement of other parties, both investors, collectors of illegal mining products and other parties involved in illegal coal mining activities in the Tahura Bukit Soeharto area.

He stated that considering they had damaged the environment and forest areas, threatened people's lives, and harmed the state, the perpetrators of these crimes, especially investors, were severely punished, so that there would be a deterrent effect.

"I have also ordered investigators to coordinate with PPATK to explore the financial flows of this crime, in order to enforce the law on money laundering," said Ratio Sani.