Inp.polri.go.id - Bogor.. Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin warned on Saturday (31/1/2026) that Indonesia’s economic sovereignty is under direct threat from busineses that exploit regulatory loopholes to conduct illegal operations. 

Speaking at a state defense retreat in Bogor, West Java, the Minister highlighted a dangerous trend of "legal fronts" masking illicit activities, ranging from unauthorized natural resource extraction to systematic tax evasion and permit violations.

"Some entrepreneurs appear legal but act illegally; we have detected and taken firm action against them," Minister Sjafrie said, as cited by antaranews.com.

The Minister specifically linked recent catastrophic floods and landslides in Sumatra to illegal logging by these entities. He noted that while administrations change every decade, entrenched business dynasties often persist by manipulating evolving regulations. 

In response, the Ministry of Defense and the Indonesian Military (TNI) are intensifying crackdowns on illegal mining and environmental crimes through specialized task forces in a bid to recover state losses and safeguard national resources from long-term exploitation by particular corporate actors.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)