Police seize 18 tons of illegal cyanide bound for unlicensed mines

Brigadier General Ade Safri Simanjuntak, director of economic and special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department, stated that the chemical is suspected to have been illegally imported from China.

Investigators launched the crackdown after receiving intelligence regarding the distribution of unauthorized cyanide outside government oversight.

Raids were conducted at three storage and distribution sites across Bekasi and West Jakarta, yielding a total of 362 drums of sodium cyanide.

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The seized stockpile is valued at approximately 14.5 billion rupiah (around US$885,000).

Police named two suspects in the case, identified by their initials S, 59, and DW, 40.

According to investigators, S allegedly distributed the toxic chemical to wildcat gold miners in West Sumatra, while DW supplied operations in South Sulawesi and Central Kalimantan.

The use of cyanide in unlicensed gold mining is a major environmental and public health concern in Indonesia, often leading to severe water contamination and soil degradation.

Police are currently tracing the illicit supply chain to identify the import originators and potential accomplices within the network.

The suspects face charges under Indonesia’s Trade Law and Consumer Protection Law. If convicted, they could face up to four years in prison and a maximum fine of 10 billion rupiah (US$610,000).

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Translator: Azmi Syamsul Ma’arif, Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono