Crackdown on Illegal Gold Mining in Kuansing, Police Find Traces of Excavations and Destroy Suction Pumps

The Kuantan Singingi Police Resort (Polres Kuansing) remains committed to eradicating unlicensed gold mining activities (PETI) that damage the environmental ecosystem. This time, Polres Kuansing, through the Hulu Kuantan Police Sector, cracked down on an illegal gold mine located in Serosah Village, Hulu Kuantan Subdistrict. The crackdown took place on Thursday (2/4/2026), led by Hulu Kuantan Police Chief AKP Pardomuan Aris Suranta. The operation followed reports from concerned residents about the illegal mining activities in the area. A joint team from the Hulu Kuantan Police Sector arrived at the crime scene (TKP) around 10:00 WIB. At the location in the middle of a palm oil plantation, officers found two suction pump machines used for PETI activities. However, the workers are believed to have fled before the officers arrived. To provide a deterrent effect and ensure the equipment could not be reused, the officers took firm action on the spot. “At the location, we found two suction pumps that had been abandoned by the workers. All the equipment was immediately destroyed by being damaged and burned,” said Kuansing Police Chief AKBP Hidayat Permana. Traces of Excavations Found In addition to finding the suction pumps, officers also discovered traces of excavations strongly suspected to be from heavy equipment activities in the plantation area. However, during the sweep, the heavy equipment in question was no longer found at the location. “We found traces of heavy equipment excavations at the TKP, but the units were no longer there. We will continue to monitor and conduct further investigations regarding the involvement of heavy equipment in these illegal activities,” he added. Kuansing Police Chief AKBP Hidayat Permana stressed that his ranks would not give any room to environmental destroyers in the jurisdiction of Polres Kuansing. He also invited the public to participate in preserving the environment in support of the Green Policing programme.