South Sumatra Police Seize 120 Tons Of Illegal Coal For Java Island Industry

Director of the Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation of the South Sumatra Police, Kombes Agung Marlianto/ANTARA

The South Sumatra Regional Police confiscated 120 tons of illegal coal to be sent as a supply of industrial needs on the island of Java from the mining area in Tanjung Enim, Muara Enim Regency.

Director of the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the South Sumatra Police, Kombes Agung Marlianto, said hundreds of tons of illegal coal were transported from Tanjung Enim using seven trucks each with a cargo capacity of 20 and 10 tons.

The activity of sending illegal coal was revealed after personnel from the Tipidter Sub-Directorate of the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the South Sumatra Police held an ambush operation on Jalan Lintas Sumatra, Batu Kuning Village, Baturaja Barat, Ogan Komering Ulu, Thursday (4/5) in the morning, at around 02.15 WIB.

Agung said the hundreds of tons of coal was about to be illegally shipped to Lampung Province, then to Cilegon, Banten to supply industrial fuel needs on the island of Java.

"It is said that it is illegal because when personnel were examined in the field, it turned out that this coal delivery activity did not have an official permit," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, May 8.

According to Agung, it was known that based on the documents obtained from the police, the seven units of illegal coal transport trucks belonged to PT LJMA and CV AJ.

"Currently, the seven transport trucks and coal cargo are temporarily entrusted to mining companies in Muara Enim Regency as evidence," he explained.

Agung explained that in this case, police investigators had named nine drivers and transportation truck conductors as suspects.

The suspects each had the initials AS (32), BB (45), BS (36), MA (29), EU (29) ID (31), YP (31), SP (39), and AA (28) who are currently being held at the South Sumatra Regional Police Headquarters to undergo the investigation process.

The nine suspects were charged with violating Article 161 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 3 of 2020 concerning Amendments to Law Number 4 of 2009 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining with a maximum imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of IDR 100 billion.

In addition, he said, the police will thoroughly investigate the illegal coal activity in Muara Enim by hunting down these business investors.

This, he said, in addition to triggering the largest damage to road and bridge infrastructure in the province, his party found that there was a state financial loss with a value of Rp. 500 million per one time for illegal coal transportation activities.