November 11, 2025 | 09:23 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police's Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim Polri) is cracking down on illegal mining in several regions. Deputy Director of Special Crimes at Bareskrim, Grand Commissioner Feby D.P. Hutagalung, unveiled the six modus operandi often used by illegal miners.
The most common, he said, is mining outside the Mining Business License Area (IUP). "Those who take advantage of the environment and the lack of surveillance by local authorities," said Feby when confirmed on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
According to Feby, these IUP holders sometimes illegally extract minerals and coal outside their licensed areas due to the land's high potential. This practice, he went on, occurs across many Indonesian regions.
The second modus operandi is mining in forest areas. Sometimes miners already have an IUP, but mining in forest areas requires a special mechanism through the Ministry of Forestry. Feby stated that this process is often bypassed to gain quick profits.
The third one is leveraging others' IUP to cover up illegal mining activities. This is called the "flying documents" phenomenon, where the paperwork of IUP holders is used for coal shipment by illegal miners.
In a similar vein, some illegal miners will use fake paperwork to conduct mining operations. "But this practice is very rare," said Feby.
The fifth is the smuggling of mining products, which often occurs with gold mines. The last method mentioned is processing mining materials without a permit. This practice uses substances such as cyanide and mercury, commonly carried out by small-scale community-owned mines.
President Prabowo Subianto previously stated that illegal mining has caused Rp300 trillion in state losses, across an estimated 1,063 illegal mines spread in the country.
The head of state admitted that these illegal mining practices are backed by authorities. "I'm warning them, whether it's a military general or a police general, or a former general, there is no excuse. We will act on behalf of the people," said Prabowo during a state address in August.
Editor’s Choice: Environmental Damage from Illegal Mining in IKN Estimated at Trillions of Rupiah
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