Indonesia Targets Illegal Mining on 190,000 Hectares of Forest Land
January 19, 2026 | Source: Free Malaysia Today | by Reuters
JAKARTA: The Indonesian government could potentially seize mining activities across 190,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest, the deputy forestry minister told a parliamentary hearing on Monday, as authorities tackle what they say is unlawful extraction in the resource-rich archipelago.
Indonesia’s unprecedented crackdown, which has seen military-led teams take over palm plantations and mines, has unnerved the industry, pushing up global palm oil prices over concerns it will hit output, and more recently, powering rallies in the prices of metals like tin.
“There were 191,790 hectares that do not have forestry use permits, which could be considered illegal,” deputy forestry minister Rohmat Marzuki said. He did not name any of the companies involved or say how many were involved. Neither did he elaborate on what was being mined or provide any timeline for the seizures.