Chinese Citizens Arrested in Indonesia for Illegal Gold Mining

Indonesian Authorities Arrest Chinese Citizen for Illegal Gold Mining in Borneo

On Saturday (May 11), according to a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesian authorities have arrested a Chinese citizen suspected of conducting illegal gold mining in Borneo.

According to reports from Bloomberg and Indonesian media, the ministry stated in its announcement on Saturday that the suspect, identified by the initials YH, had employed 80 Chinese citizens to mine and produce gold bars at an illegal location in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, Borneo. The suspect was apprehended by officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as well as the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Indonesian National Police.

On Saturday evening, Sunindyo Suryo Herdadi, the Director of Mineral and Coal Engineering and Environment at the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, stated in a press conference, “It has been found that the suspect YH engaged in unauthorized activities at the crime scene.”

Sunindyo mentioned that an in-depth investigation is ongoing to determine the total weight of gold produced, calculate the national losses, and investigate the relevant parties.

Furthermore, he explained that these investigation results stemmed from monitoring, observing, researching, and inspecting mining activities without gold mining permits.

Investigators uncovered underground mining activities.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources stated that the factory in Ketapang lacked a legal operating permit. The ministry’s statement revealed that workers had extended the mine shafts to over 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) and expanded the tunnels.

Allegedly, the suspect operated these mines with the assistance of some local residents who provided support, including domestic and catering services.

The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is still investigating the illegal gold mining product sales locations.

Illegal mining is prevalent in resource-rich Indonesia. State-owned mining company PT Timah has stated that this is a problem affecting its financial performance.

Under Indonesian law, engaging in mining activities without permission can result in up to five years of imprisonment and a maximum fine of 100 billion Indonesian Rupiahs.