Banyumas Police Name 4 Suspects In Illegal Gold Mining Case

The Head of Banyumas Police, Kombes Edy Suranta Sitepu (three from the right) showed evidence at a press conference on the illegal gold mining case at the Banyumas Police Headquarters, Friday (28/7/2023) afternoon.

BANYUMAS - The Banyumas Police have named 4 suspects in the illegal gold mining case that was revealed after 8 miners were trapped in a mining well since Tuesday, July 25 night. Until now it has not been evacuated. Banyumas Police Chief Kombes Edy Suranta Sitepu said his party was assisted by the Special Criminal Directorate of the Central Java Regional Police to conduct a series of investigations into the incident that occurred in the gold mining area of Pancurendang Village, Ajibarang District, Banyumas. From the results of the investigation, his party conducted a case title and it was found that the gold mine did not have a permit. "We have named four suspects, one of whom is the owner of the land, namely brother SN (76). Meanwhile, the other three suspects are managers or financiers," he explained during a press conference at the Banyumas Police Headquarters, Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Antara, Friday, July 28. According to him, the other three suspects consisted of KS (43) and WI (43) as the manager of Sumur I and DR (40) as the manager of Sumur II. Suspect DR is still being searched because he fled. "I appeal to suspects, including their families or anyone who knows about the whereabouts of DR's brother, to be able to inform us or the nearest police offices, to be able to surrender to account for their actions," he said. He said his party had also confiscated a number of evidences and would continue to investigate and deepen the case. The suspects were charged with Article 158 subsidiary Article 161 of Law Number 4 of 2OO9 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining. "This is still in progress, of course later after the others are caught, we will also target where the mining goods are sold. We will also reveal this to anyone related to this incident," he said. Regarding the chronology of the incident, the Police Chief said the incident occurred on Tuesday (25/7), at 22.00 WIB, and his party received the incident report on Wednesday (26/7), at 07.00 WIB. Based on the report, his party visited the crime scene (TKP) to directly check the location where 8 miners were trapped in a mining well. "After we were at the scene, we saw that it was true that the well had been filled with water," he explained. He said based on information from one of the workers who worked on Tuesday (25/7) night it was known that there were 8 miners trapped in the mining well. According to him, his party immediately carried out evacuation steps by contacting potential search and rescue (SAR) including BPBD, Basarnas, Brimob SAR Team, and the Cilacap Navy Base SAR Team. "Everything is working to carry out the evacuation and the evacuation process is currently underway at that location," he explained. Furthermore, the Police Chief said the mine site was located in the Grumbul Tajur rice field area, Pancurendang Village, Ajibarang District, Banyumas. After the evacuation process runs, his party takes investigative and investigative steps by examining 23 witnesses. From the results of the examination of 23 witnesses, he continued, it was known that at that location there were two mining wells, namely Sumur I and Sumur II. "This second well is a crime scene where 8 workers are trapped," he explained. Before the incident, it was discovered that workers at Sumur I were carrying out mining or digging processes and finding water, so the workers went up to take equipment to make efforts to repair it. When they were about to make efforts to repair the workers back into the well, it turned out that the water was quite heavy, so the workers went back up and reported to the operator to contact the workers at Sumur II. Because the water is quite heavy, he continued, workers who are in Sumur II cannot go up to the top so they are trapped inside.

"That's based on the testimony of the witnesses we examined," said the Police Chief.