Chinese National Detained Over Illegal Gold Mining Activities in Kalimantan
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13 May 2024 12:16 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR) together with the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) arrested a Chinese national with the initials YH for allegedly mining gold ore illegally in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan.
YH and a group of people mined and produced gold bullion in tunnels. "It was discovered that unauthorized activity occurred at the scene of the crime carried out by the suspect with the initials YH," said the Director of Engineering and Environment for Mineral and Coal at EMR Ministry Sunindyo Suryo Herdadi in a press conference on Saturday evening, May 11, 2024.
Sunindyo said that the Ministry was still conducting an in-depth investigation regarding the total weight of gold bullion produced, calculating state losses, and investigating the parties involved.
Investigators discovered the mining activity, which took place underground with several pieces of evidence, namely tapping/labeling tools, gold molds, gold filters, induction smelting, lower loaders, and electric dump trucks.
Nindyo said that to carry out their activities, the group utilized a tunnel that was still under maintenance and did not have a production operation permit. "By citing maintenance and upkeep activities, they extract gold ore at the location, including processing and refining in the tunnel," said Nindyo. The results of the refinery, gold bullion, then taken out of the tunnel for sale.
Nindyo said that the EMR Ministry was still investigating the place where the illegal gold mining products were sold.
For this illegal activity, the suspect violated Article 158 of Law No. 3 of 2020 with a maximum prison sentence of five years and a maximum fine of Rp100 billion. "However, that does not rule out the possibility of this case being developed into a criminal case under laws other than the EMR Law," he said.
ANTARA
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