Illegal Mining Actors, West Bangka Police Denies Any Members Asking For Ransom From Confiscation Of 60 Pontons

Controlling the activities of wild Chinese ore mining on Belolaut Beach Mentok. (ANTARA/HO-Humas West Bangka Police)

BABEL - Police take firm action against a number of wild tin ore miners who are still active in Belolaut Beach, Mentok District, West Bangka, Bangka Belitung Islands Province (Babel).

Head of the West Bangka Police Polairud Unit, Iptu Yudi Lasmono, said the action was because the activity did not have a permit from the relevant agencies.

"We carried out this law enforcement against illegal mining actors together with KP XXVIII-2005 personnel from the Polairud Directorate of the Babel Police, on Tuesday (14 November)," he said in Mentok, Babel, Wednesday, November 15, which was confiscated by Antara.

In this activity, the joint team managed to find as many as three units of pontoons or a suction type mining device that was carrying out tin ore mining activities. When the authorities asked about the perpetrator's mining permit, they could not show the permit documents.

"We have given the appeal several times, but they still violate so that we take firm action," he said.

A total of three units of illegal mining pontoons were later confiscated as evidence, two units of boarding school type had been withdrawn, while one was still at the location because it ran aground.

"We have secured evidence in the form of pontoons and workers at the West Bangka Police Polairud Unit Post for further investigation. During the activity the situation was conducive," he said.

West Bangka Police Chief AKBP Ade Zamrah said the action was also a clarification on the circulation of 60 pontoon issues secured by police officers if they wanted to be taken conditionally paying a ransom of some money.

"The news is not true, if it is true that a member of mine is begging for money, please prove it. I will act on the member. But if it is not true, the media journalist must be responsible for what was reported," he said.

He hopes that the whole community will not be easily consumed by rumors or untrue news because it will only create a commotion and make things worse.

"We are working professionally and all those who are currently being detained are undergoing examination according to procedures," he said.