Jakarta’s “Thunderbolt” Task Force is Securing the Future of Critical Minerals

JAKARTA, Indonesia (JakartaWeekly.com) – As the global race for high-tech minerals intensifies, Indonesia is doubling down on a domestic crackdown against illegal mining to shield its “critical mineral” reserves from foreign exploitation and depletion.

The move is seen as a vital defense of Jakarta’s ambitious downstreaming policy (hilirisasi), which bans the export of raw ores in favor of domestic processing. According to Muhammad Faisal, Executive Director of CORE Indonesia, securing these non-renewable resources is the only way for the nation to “level up” in the global supply chain.

“Safeguarding the supply of critical minerals and reserves for the national downstreaming agenda remains crucial to driving industrialization and increasing public welfare,” Faisal said in a statement on Monday.

The “Thunderbolt” Strike

The government’s primary weapon in this resource war is the Forest Area Control Task Force (Satgas PKH), popularly known as Satgas Halilintar (Task Force Thunderbolt).

Throughout 2025 and into early 2026, the unit has executed a series of high-stakes operations, successfully reclaiming nearly 10,000 hectares of mining land. The crackdown targeted over 100 companies found to be operating without permits in protected forest areas. The commodities seized represent the backbone of modern technology and energy: nickel, coal, gold, quartz sand, and limestone.

The operations spanned Indonesia’s most resource-rich regions, including Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sumatra, and North Maluku.

Shielding Against Global Pressure

The crackdown comes at a time of heightened international tension. As global powers scramble for the raw materials needed for electric vehicles and high-tech manufacturing, resource-rich nations like Indonesia face increasing pressure to open their raw reserves.

Faisal warned that without strict enforcement, Indonesia risks losing its strategic leverage. “If we are not careful, there is a risk that external parties will demand full access to our critical minerals,” he noted. “This would contradict our downstreaming policy if raw materials are taken directly without being processed domestically.”

Industrialization over Extraction

The shift in strategy highlights a growing consensus in Jakarta: mining should no longer be a purely extractive industry. By curbing illegal mining, the government ensures that minerals stay within a regulated system that mandates domestic value-added processing.

The goal is to transform Indonesia from a mere raw material provider into a sophisticated manufacturing hub. For the administration, Task Force Thunderbolt isn’t just about environmental law—it’s about ensuring that the country’s finite mineral wealth fuels an Indonesian industrial revolution rather than a foreign one.