The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has named 26\npeople as suspects in a case of alleged illegal mining (PETI) in the\nMount Botak area, Buru Regency, Maluku. Of the suspects, 24 are foreign\nnationals from China and the remaining two are Indonesian citizens.<\/p>\n
The action was taken through the Directorate General of Law\nEnforcement (Ditjen Gakkum) of the ESDM together with the Criminal\nInvestigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police as a firm measure\nto improve national mining governance.<\/p>\n
Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of ESDM, Rilke\nJeffri Huwae, explained the suspects\u2019 roles in supporting the illegal\ngold mining operation. He stated that the individuals were involved in\nbuilding access roads, processing facilities, and establishing a gold\nrefining laboratory at the mining site.<\/p>\n
\"Based on the analysis that has been conducted and opinions heard\nfrom expert assessments, the Directorate General of Law Enforcement at\nthe Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has named 26 suspects,\" he\nsaid at a press conference at the Maluku High Prosecutor\u2019s Office on\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Currently, one Indonesian suspect is detained at the Bareskrim\ndetention centre, one Indonesian suspect has not yet been detained, 12\nforeign nationals are detained at the Ambon detention centre, while 12\nother foreign nationals are outside Indonesian jurisdiction and have\nbeen placed on a wanted list.<\/p>\n
\"The naming of suspects was carried out after investigators upgraded\nthe investigation status on 3 April 2026 and obtained sufficient\nevidence based on investigation results, information gathering, and case\nreviews held on 22 May and 22 June 2026,\" he added.<\/p>\n
During the law enforcement process, the investigation team also\nsealed and seized evidence at several locations, including Mount Botak,\nNamlea City, Ambon, and Jakarta. The suspects are charged under Article\n158 of the Mineral and Coal Mining Law, which carries criminal penalties\nrelated to mining activities without a permit and land clearing in\nprotected forest areas.<\/p>\n
\"Currently, Civil Servant Investigators from Ditjen Gakkum together\nwith the supervisory coordination unit are completing the case files so\nthat prosecution can be carried out by the Public Prosecutor. This\ninvestigation process will continue to be developed as long as new facts\nrelated to the case emerge,\" Jeffri concluded.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Maluku Regional Secretary Sadali Ie stated that his party\nsupports the ongoing legal process for the illegal mining case in the\nregion. He said the handling of the PETI case on Mount Botak is\nsupported by regulations issued by the Governor of Maluku.<\/p>\n
\"We thank the Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of\nESDM for carrying out the inquiry and investigation, which indicated\ncriminal acts and led to several people being named as suspects,\" he\nsaid on the same occasion.<\/p>\n
He expressed hope that eradicating the Mount Botak gold PETI would\nhave a positive impact on the local community and boost Maluku\u2019s\neconomic growth. \"On the other hand, it is about encouraging economic\ngrowth by increasing the locally generated revenue of Maluku province,\"\nhe stressed.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/24-chinese-nationals-named-suspects-in-illegal-gold-mining-on-mount-botak-1782391918", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }