TNI Headquarters Seals 2 Companies Working On Illegal Mining Land In North Maluku And Southeast Sulawesi

The Chief of General Staff (Kasum) of the TNI Lt. Gen. Richard Tampubolon (two from the right) at the location of the company's land that was sealed for clearing illegal mining land in the North Maluku area, Thursday (11/9/2025). ANTARA/HO-Humas TNI Headquarters

JAKARTA - The TNI Headquarters (Mabes) sealed two companies for illegally clearing mining land in forest areas in North Maluku (Malut) and Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra) areas.

The sealing was carried out by the Chief of General Staff (Kasum) of the TNI Lt. Gen. Richard Tampubolon during a working visit with the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Kajampidsus) Febrie Adriansyah to the location of Forest Area Control in North Maluku and Southeast Sulawesi, Thursday (11/09).

In a TNI press release broadcast Friday, it was explained that Richard installed sealing signs in two companies, namely PT Weda Bay Nickel in Central Halmahera, North Maluku and PT Tonia Mitra Sejahtera in Bombana, Southeast Sulawesi.

Richard said that the control of forest areas they carry out is not haphazard, but through a number of stages ranging from summons for classification, identification, to cross-institutional communication.

"We coordinate all these steps with various parties, including the Sustainable Forestry Council (DKB), biologists, and other relevant agencies. The goal is that every process runs according to the rules, especially regarding company licensing," Richard said in the press release.

Through this momentum, Richard emphasized to all mining companies to follow the regulations that apply in carrying out their business. If the company has complete licensing, the control process will run according to the legal corridor.

On the other hand, he said, if a violation is found, then his party will impose strict sanctions.

"We hope that with today's field control, good cooperation will be established between the Task Force and the company, so that the right solution can be found," said Richard.

The Forest Area Control Task Force (Satgas PKH) found two companies to open mine areas in forest areas without a loan and use forest area (IPPKH).

PT Weda Bay Nickel was proven to have cleared an area of 148.25 hectares without a permit. The PKH Task Force designated the area as an object controlled by the state and imposed administrative fines. On September 11, 2025, the PKH Task Force officially took over the land to restore its forest function.

PT Tonia Mitra Sejahtera also committed similar violations with a land area of 172.82 hectares. The land is now designated as an object controlled by the state, while the company is subject to fines in accordance with applicable regulations.

This step is part of the government's efforts and the TNI in law enforcement, restoring forest areas, and ensuring the use of resources for the welfare of the Indonesian people.