The Criminal Investigation Unit Of The Police To Investigate Mines In South Kalimantan, Allegedly Operating After Sealing

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police, Komjen Agus Andrianto (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) will conduct an investigation into the alleged operation of a mine belonging to PT Damai Mitra Cendana in South Kalimantan after its status was sealed since June 2021 due to licensing issues.

The Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police, Komjen Agus Andrianto, said that his party would coordinate with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) to trace the information.

"We check and understand the information, what the process is like, we are coordinating with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources," Agus said when confirmed in Jakarta, quoted by Antara, Monday, July 19.

The sealing of the mine, which is located in Mataraman District, Banjar Regency, was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Police at the end of last June. Mining activities were temporarily suspended.

The sealing action was taken after National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo stated that his party would check the family's problems with 20 mining business permits (IUP) in South Kalimantan during a working meeting with Commission III of the DPR RI at the MPR/DPR/DPD RI complex, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 16.

Although it had been sealed by the Criminal Investigation Department, on Saturday, July 17, the company was suspected of operating again by changing its name to PT Damai Mitracendana Abadi, and mining in the area allegedly the same as before, where PT Damai Mitra Cendana was sealed.

This information is known from a copy of the letter sent by Damai Mitracendana Abadi to PT Mitra Agro Semesta. The letter uses the Damai Mitracendana Abadi stamp and logo signed by Ahmad Yudhistira as the main director and Rakhman Silvika Maksum as the head of mining engineering.

When checked in the administration system of the Directorate General of Mineral and Coal of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, namely Minerba One Data (Modi), the name Damai Mitracendana Abadi was not registered.

Mitra Agro Semesta is a private land management company appointed by PT Perkebunan Nasional (PTPN) XIII. In the land owned by PTPN XIII, there are a number of mining companies operating, including Damai Mitra Cendana.

"Through this letter, we inform you that we will resume mining operational activities in the mining permit area of ​​PT Damai Mitracendana Abadi on Saturday (17/7) morning," Yudhistira wrote in the letter.

The issue of the mining business permit (IUP) in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan was revealed by the Deputy Chair of the Indonesian House of Representatives Law Commission from the National Mandate Party Faction Prince Khairul Saleh in a joint meeting with the National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo at the MPR/DPR/DPD RI Building, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 16.

He said that there were dozens of problematic IUPs in South Kalimantan, one of which belonged to PT Damai Mitra Cendana, which operates in Banjar Regency.

This company, he said, dared to carry out exploitation ranging from mining to coal shipments without pocketing legal documents.

Therefore, Khairul who is also the former Regent of Banjar for the period 2005-2015 asked the National Police Chief to take action.

"I ask the National Police Chief to arrest the syndicate of asphalt IUP makers (original but fake), including companies using asphalt documents that are already working on exploitation and are also arrested," said Khairul at the working meeting.