Kapahiang Bengkulu Police Aim For Members Of DPRD, Suspected Of Being Involved In Illegal Sand Mining

Members of the Kepahiang Police Satreskrim, Bengkulu while carrying some evidence at an illegal sand mine in Lubuk Penyamun Village, Merigi District, Bengkulu (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Investigators from the Kepahiang Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim), Bengkulu, are investigating the involvement of local DPRD members in the illegal sand mining case in the area.

Kapolres Kepahiang AKBP Suparman, through the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit, Iptu Welliwanto Malau, said that his party had named 3 suspects in the illegal sand mining case in Lubuk Penyamun Village, Merigi District, Kepahiang Regency, Bengkulu.

From the statement of 1 suspect, it was stated that there was an unscrupulous member of the Kepahiang Regency DPRD who was involved in illegal sand mining practices.

"Yes, there are names of members of the Kepahiang Regency DPRD who are said to have taken part in the illegal sand mining and we are currently conducting further investigations into the suspects' confessions," said Welliwanto Malau, quoted by Antara, Sunday, January 17.

The revelation of this illegal sand mining practice began when members of the Kepahiang Police Criminal Investigation Unit controlled a number of sand mining activities in the area on Tuesday, January 12.

From the illegal sand mining location in Lubuk Penyamun Village, Merigi Subdistrict, Kepahiang Regency, the police arrested 5 people for further investigation.

The five are, IJ (61) and HI (42), residents of Lubuk Penyamun Village, Merigi District. Then Su (5), a resident of Curup Tengah District, AE (46) a resident of Curup Selatan District, and YA (50) a resident of Rimbo Recap Village, Curup Selatan District.

Of the 5 people, IJ and HI were designated as suspects, then the Supreme Court appointed the suspect based on the development of the confessions of the IJ and HI suspects.

"The three suspects are suspected of violating Law No. 4 of 2009 on Mineral and Coal Mining. We will continue to investigate this case," said the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit at the Kepahiang Police.