TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Lumajang District Court in East Java conducted further trials concerning the discovery of the marijuana plantation within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. During these proceedings, three defendants provided testimony, acting as witnesses for one another.

The defendants, Tomo bin Sutamar, Tono bin Mistam, and Bambang bin Narto, residents of Pusung Duwur Hamlet, Argosari Village, Senduro District, Lumajang, admitted before the court that they had agreed to cultivate marijuana within the conservation area in exchange for monetary compensation from Edi, a fugitive suspect.

1. Perpetrator's Motive

During the trial, the defendants testified that they received seeds and specific planting instructions from Edi, one of the suspects on the fugitive list. Edi also supplied all necessary materials, including marijuana seeds and fertilizer.

The defendants, who are neighbors, with Tono being Tomo's son-in-law, acknowledged their agreement to plant marijuana in the conservation area based on Edi's financial promises. For each trip to the cultivation site, they were promised a wage of Rp150,000. Upon harvest, they were to receive Rp4 million per kilogram.

Edi provided instructions on all aspects of cultivation, from planting and fertilizing to general maintenance. "After the plants are four to five months old, they can be harvested," Bambang testified before the judges.

2. Six Defendants

The Lumajang District Court also held trials for two additional defendants, Suwari bin Untung and Jumaat bin Seneram, also residents of Dusun Pusung Duwur, Argosari Village, in connection with the marijuana plantation case on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

With the inclusion of these two defendants, the total number of individuals charged in this case rose to six. However, one defendant, Ngatoyo, had passed away, resulting in the dismissal of the indictment against him. The charges against the two new defendants mirrored those against the other four.

They face charges of illegally planting, cultivating, possessing, storing, controlling, or providing Category I narcotics in the form of marijuana plants weighing over one kilogram or more than five marijuana plants. These actions constitute criminal offenses under Article 111, paragraph (2) of Law No. 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics.

3. Plantation Location Outside Tourist Routes

The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) Main Office confirmed that the marijuana plantation was located outside the established tourist routes for Mount Bromo and the climbing route for Mount Semeru.

Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha, Head of the TNBTS Main Office, stated that the plantation was discovered on the eastern side of the TNBTS area. "The location of the marijuana plants was not in the Bromo or Semeru routes, but on the eastern side of the TNBTS area," Rudi said in Malang, East Java, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as reported by Antara.

He explained that the discovery of the marijuana plantation occurred between September 18 and 21, 2024, through a joint operation involving officers from the TNBTS Main Office, the Lumajang Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI), and Argosari Village Officials from the Senduro District, Lumajang Regency.

The location was identified as the Pusung Duwur Block, within the Seduro and Gucialit National Park Territory Management Resort, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Third Area Management Section of the National Park Territory.

David Priyasidarta contributed to this article.

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