Abstract
Illegal drilling a law enforcement problem involving not only unauthorized oil and gas exploitation but also recurring criminal activities, financier networks, enforcement limitations, and risks to environmental quality and public safety. This study aims to examine criminal law enforcement against illegal drilling in Batanghari Regency, identify factors that hinder its effectiveness, and analyze its environmental and public safety impacts. This research employs a juridical-empirical method with a descriptive-analytical approach, combining statutory, conceptual, and field approaches. The findings demonstrate that law enforcement has been conducted through preventive and repressive measures; however, its effectiveness remains constrained by geographical conditions, limited human resources and facilities, socio-economic factors, inter-agency coordination, and difficulties in identifying financiers and controllers of illegal operations. The recurrence of illegal drilling indicates that enforcement focused primarily on field workers has not sufficiently disrupted the financing structures and networks underlying the activities. Furthermore, illegal drilling poses significant risks of soil and water pollution, vegetation damage, fire, explosion, and threats to public safety. This study proposes an integrated enforcement model based on network disruption, environmental restoration, and social prevention to strengthen deterrence and prevent recurrence