Police Arrest Suspect Of Illegal C Mining On The South Coast Of West Sumatra

Police have arrested the perpetrators of illegal C excavation mines on the South Coast. (ANTARA/HO-Polres Pesisir Selatan.)

JAKARTA - Police arrested Syaipul (37), a suspected illegal C excavation miner at a house in Sikabu Village, Nagari Rantau Simalenang, Linggo Sari Bahanti District, Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra (West Sumatra), on Thursday 12 December.

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the South Coast Police, AKP Muhammad Yogi Biantoro, said the suspect was arrested based on police report number LP/A/13/XI/2024/SPKT/-1/Satreskrim/Polres Pesisir Selatan/Polda West Sumatra on November 11, 2024.

"The suspect carried out excavation C without permission on Friday, November 8, 2024 at around 17.00 WIB in Sikabu Village," said Yogi in Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra, Thursday, December 12, confiscated by Antara.

Yogi said local residents reported the mining to the police because they were worried about the activity.

Residents were angry because the mining resulted in potholes, thus disrupting the smooth running of people's traffic.

At the mining site, said Yogi, his party confiscated an excavator unit, which was later designated as evidence of mining.

To continue the legal process against the suspect, his party is looking for and recording witnesses for questioning. Currently the police are taking the suspect to the Pesisir Selatan Police Headquarters for further questioning.

"There are no other actors in this mining. The suspect did it alone," he said.

Yogi added that his party threatened the suspect with Article 158 of Law Number 3 of 2024 concerning Amendments to Law Number 4 of 2009 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining. He said that the suspect was threatened with a maximum sentence of five years.