JAKARTA: Seven suspects believed to have been involved in illegal mining and smuggling of tin sand from Bangka Belitung Islands to Malaysia have been detained by the Indonesian National Police (Polri).
Polri Director of Specific Crimes, Brig Gen Moh Irhamni, said the arrests were made after police intercepted a vessel carrying 319 sacks of tin sand without official documents, following a tip-off on Feb 23.
A captain and four crew members of the KM Rezeki Laut II were detained. Further investigation led to the arrest of two more individuals suspected of acting as collectors, managers, and shippers of illegal tin sand, said Irhamni.
"Investigations revealed that the tin sand originated from illegal mining activities. The collected material was refined before being prepared for shipment overseas,” he said, according to Antara News Agency on Monday (March 2).
Irhamni said the suspects had allegedly smuggled tin sand to Malaysia at least four times, adding that the material was sold to a smelter company in Malaysia based on statements recorded during questioning.
He said investigations are under way to identify financiers and other networks involved in the operation.
He added that Polri is working in coordination with the Indonesian Navy Military Police (POM AL) to uncover any involvement of defence personnel, in accordance with legal procedures and institutional authority. - Bernama
