Gorontalo Police Arrest Fugitive for Illegal Gold Mining in Manado

JAKARTA - The Gorontalo Police Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) team arrested a man who was a fugitive in an illegal mining case in the Pohuwato Regency area, Gorontalo Province.

Director of Reskrimsus of the Gorontalo Police, Kombes Pol. Maruly Pardede in Gorontalo, Friday evening, said the man with the initials MR was arrested by a team from Subdit IV Tipidter Ditkrimsus of the Gorontalo Police in Manado City, North Sulawesi on Wednesday, December 24, after being declared a fugitive since Tuesday, May 6.

"MR was brought and arrived in Gorontalo on December 25, 2025, and today he has been named a suspect in the case of illegal mining (peti) in Gorontalo," said Kombes Pol. Maruly quoted by Antara.

In this case, MR has legally carried out illegal gold mining activities together with eight other residents who have previously also been named suspects.

From the results of the investigation and development of the eight suspects previously, MR was known to have played a role as the person who funded the illegal mining activities carried out in a land located in Popaya Village, Dengilo District, Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo Province.

In addition to MR, the other eight people who were named as suspects also had different roles, namely as heavy equipment operators, activity supervisors, and workers, where all of them were still under the auspices of MR.

The evidence that has been confiscated previously is a multipurpose hose, tarpaulin, channel pipe, box for filtering mine material, water distributor pipe, and material suction machine.

In handling the case, the investigators divided it into three files, the first of which was the case file of four workers, a file for the operator and supervisor, and a MR file as the financier or person who funded the illegal activity.

Regarding these files, investigators have also summoned and examined 13 witnesses, ranging from workers, witnesses to the arrest, criminal experts, and witnesses from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

Meanwhile, investigators have also established evidence in the form of a laboratory test report and a certificate that the activities carried out by MR and his colleagues at the location did not have a permit.

MR is a repeat offender who is involved in a number of cases in several areas, and is considered to be skilled in hiding or avoiding calls from the police to be investigated.

After being picked up and examined and going through the process of the title of the case, MR was finally named a suspect and began to be detained in the Gorontalo Police detention cell.

Furthermore, MR and several of his colleagues are threatened with Article 158 Juncto Article 35 of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia number 4 of 2009, concerning mineral and coal mining, Juncto Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), with a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp. 100 billion.

"Currently, we have determined the suspect and detained him. During the examination, he was also accompanied by a lawyer, even the process was recorded as evidence of the transparency of the process of handling professional cases," he said.