Jakarta. A viral aerial video allegedly showing a marijuana plantation on the slopes of Mount Semeru in East Java has sparked public concern, but the government clarified on Tuesday that the footage is not recent and that authorities had already dismantled the illegal crops.

The marijuana plants were found within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS), raising speculation about potential involvement by park officials. However, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni dismissed such allegations.

"No, the marijuana plants weren’t grown by my colleagues at the national park. The plantation was uncovered through our collaboration with the police," Antoni said in Jakarta.

Marijuana Plantation Discovered and Destroyed 
Antoni explained that police and forest rangers used first-person view (FPV) drones in 2024 to investigate reports of illicit cultivation in the park. The search led to the discovery of thousands of marijuana plants, prompting an immediate eradication operation.

"Some have speculated that the national park was recently closed to cover up the marijuana plantation. That is not true," he said.

The Forestry Ministry’s Director General of Natural Resources Conservation, Satyawan Pudyatmoko, confirmed that police first uncovered the plantation in September 2024. The national park’s management assisted in the investigation by deploying field workers and rangers equipped with drones.

"Marijuana plantations are usually hidden in dense, remote areas, so drones were essential in locating them," Satyawan said.

Following the discovery, authorities uprooted the plants and handed them over to the police as evidence.

Enhanced Patrols and Security Measures
TNBTS Head Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha provided further details, saying the plantation was camouflaged within thick vegetation on a steep slope of Mount Semeru in Lumajang Regency -- a location difficult to access and far from tourist areas.

"The site is extremely remote and is nowhere near popular hiking routes or visitor spots," Rudijanta said in a statement.

In response to speculation about drone restrictions in the park-- allegedly imposed to prevent exposure of the plantation -- Rudijanta clarified that the ban has been in place since 2019 out of respect for traditional rituals held in the area.

Additionally, he addressed claims that hiking restrictions were linked to the marijuana plantation, emphasizing that park closures earlier this year were solely due to seasonal safety risks, including landslides triggered by heavy rains.

Between September and October 2024, police successfully destroyed over 47,000 marijuana plants on Mount Semeru's slopes. Law enforcement also seized 10 kilograms of dried marijuana and arrested at least four suspects, all of whom were local villagers.

Authorities have since increased patrols within the national park to prevent illegal plantations from emerging again.