Ministry Of Transportation Arrests 12 Illegal Gold Miners In Tanjung Puting National Park

Photos of dozens of assembled drones for illegal gold mining (PETI) that were successfully secured by a joint operations team from the Ministry of Transportation and the National Police in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Saturday (15/11/2025). BETWEEN/HO-Kemenhut

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) through the Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) together with a joint team managed to secure 12 gold mining actors without a permit (PETI) in the Tanjung Puting National Park (TN) area, Central Kalimantan.

Head of the Forestry Security and Law Enforcement Center for the Kalimantan Region of the Ministry of Forestry, Leonardo Gultom, said that the disclosure of PETI's activities began with the death of a Kalimantan orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) in the Camp Leakey area around the Sinkyer River on September 11, 2025.

He said that the discovery of slashing wounds and air rifle projectiles was thought to have been caused by interactions with illegal miners on the entrance to the Tanjung Puting National Park.

"We really appreciate the performance of the joint operations team that has synergized in efforts to restore the Tanjung Puting National Park conservation area from gold miners which caused disturbances, causing protected animals in the form of orangutans to be injured and dead," Leonardo said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, November 12.

"In this joint operation, it is hoped that the case can be resolved completely until it reaches the financier or collector," he added.

The security of the 12 perpetrators, suspected of being residents of Kumai Village and Natai Buffalo, was carried out by the Joint Team of the Balai Gakkum Kehutanan Region of Kalimantan, Tanjung Puting National Park Office, Central Kalimantan Police Ditreskrimsus, and Central Kalimantan Police Mobile Brigade Unit on November 15, 2025.

The Joint Operations Team was deployed around the Sekoyer River such as Tempukung, Kapuk, Tebing Tinggi and Banit. In the Tempukung and Banit areas, the team found empty mining huts and abandoned sand suction machines.

Pondok and suction machines were destroyed by burning them so that they were no longer used by miners. The team also installed a ban sign on the entry routes of miners and the location of mining activities.

In the Tebing Tinggi and Banit areas, 12 units of rafts were found carrying out gold mining activities within the Tanjung Puting National Park area. The team then secured 12 workers as well as owners of rafts/lanting, most of whom came from Kumai residents.

Investigators have named twelve perpetrators as suspects and they will be placed in the Palangkaraya Class II Detention Center, Central Kalimantan.

Leonardo said he had asked for support and assistance from the Korwas of the Central Kalimantan Police and the Central Kalimantan High Prosecutor's Office in accelerating the handling of illegal mining cases in the conservation and development area of other perpetrators involved.

In a similar statement, the Head of the Tanjung Puting National Park Office, Yohan Hendratmoko, appreciated the collaboration to secure the conservation area from illegal activities.

"Hopefully this cooperation will be closer and more solid in preserving the habitat and population of orangutans as protected animals that are the pride of Indonesia," he said.