5 Illegal Gold Mining Locations In Mandailing Natal Raided, 12 Excavators Confiscated

Illegal mining illustration (ANTARA)

ManDAILING NATAL - Mandailing Natal Police, North Sumatra raided five illegal gold mining sites in the Batang Gadis Riverbank area, Kotanopan District, Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatra, on Tuesday, May 28 afternoon.

Seven illegal gold mining people and twelve excavator heavy equipment units were secured from the mine site.

Mandailing Natal Police Chief AKBP Arie Supandi Paloh said the raid on the illegal gold mine site began with reports from the public regarding illegal gold mining activities.

The personnel of the Mandailing Natal Police Criminal Investigation Unit then formed a team and then took action by raiding the illegal gold mine site.

During the raid, a number of miners fled trying to escape into the forest and threw themselves into the river after knowing the arrival of the officers. However, with the attention of the officers, one by one the illegal gold mining workers were arrested.

Arie revealed that a total of seven people are suspected of being working as illegal gold mining. In addition to securing gold mining, the police also secured as many as 12 excavators who were equipment to mine gold illegally.

"This is the location where the perpetrators (miners) hide 5 excavators. We will try to move this heavy equipment to the police headquarters. We will continue to move the results from one day we are traveling around, there are approximately five locations or more excavators that we have secured, there are 12 excavators," said Arie.

For further investigation, the seven illegal gold mining people were arrested and 12 excavators were secured to the Mandailing Natal Police Headquarters. Subsequently, the police burned the hut and a number of equipment to mine gold illegally.