Crossing The River Using Bamboo During An Illegal Gold Mining Raid In West Pasaman, Police Left Behind Alleged Perpetrators

SUMBAR - Police raided illegal gold mines in two locations in West Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra (West Sumatra). The two locations are in Jorong Tombang, Talamau and Rimbo Canduang sub-districts, Pasaman District.

Kasubdit 4 Ditkrimsus Polda West Sumatra Kompol Firdaus said the results of the raid on Tombang found two heavy excavators. One unit is working on the riverbank and one unit is dead or damaged.

"When the team was about to cross the river, the heavy equipment immediately stopped and took him into a bush near that location and the operator fled," he said at Simpang Empat, West Pasaman, West Sumatra, Wednesday evening, December 28.

Firdaus said the terrain for the land road to the mine site in Tombang was quite heavy. The road can only be taken by second-hand car. The beginning of entering Tombang village was immediately greeted by a monitoring post or road portal.

Arriving at the location on Wednesday afternoon, December 28, a unit of heavy excavator was found dead. Then the excavator is again working across the river in the area.

The police also had to cross the river using a machete or bridge made of only one bamboo.

When the officers arrived across the river, the heavy equipment was locked and the operator fled.

In addition to finding heavy equipment excavators, officers also found dozens of oil jerry cans, dompeng machines and boxes or sand filtering tools. Then, on the banks of the Batang Pasaman river, there were also traces of mining excavations that were suspected to have been carried out in the last two to three months. After conducting raids on Tombang until Wednesday, December 28 afternoon, the Ditkrimsus team from the West Sumatra Police and the West Pasaman Police went straight to the Rimbo Canduang area, Pasaman District. When there was no mining activity at the location. There were only traces of gold mining that had been abandoned on the banks of the Rimbo Canduang River. "We have gone down this is a form of commitment in eradicating illegal gold mines or illegal mining. We ask for cooperation with all parties to report if there are indications of illegal gold mines. We will go down to take action against it," said Fahrel. A resident of Tombang with the initials K (46) said that the heavy equipment generally came from Muara Kiawai. "Previously, there were many, but now there have been many. The mining activity has been running for about two or three months," he said.