Police seize contents of Nganjuk gold shop in suspected money laundering case
A team from the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) seized the contents of a gold jewellery shop in Payaman subdistrict, Nganjuk, East Java, in connection with suspected money laundering involving proceeds from unlicensed mining operations.
Nganjuk's Pasar Wage market coordinator, Mulyadi, said on Friday that he had been asked to serve as a witness during the search. The team searched the entire shop, including gold jewellery and administrative documents.
"I served as a witness for the search at Toko Semar. They examined the goods in the shop, the gold jewellery, and the bookkeeping and administrative records," he said in Nganjuk.
He added that officers also removed jewellery from the shop's display cases. The gold items are believed to constitute evidence in a money laundering case linked to illegal mining currently under investigation by Bareskrim.
The case was initiated based on an analytical report from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) concerning suspicious transactions related to the domestic gold trade conducted by gold shops, as well as trading activities by gold refining companies exporting gold abroad using material suspected to have originated from unlicensed mining operations.
Regarding the illegal gold mining activities that took place in West Kalimantan between 2019 and 2022, the investigation of the predicate offence has been completed and the verdict has gained permanent legal force at the Pontianak District Court.
Based on the findings from the investigation of the predicate offence and the court proceedings, it was established that flows of funds from illegal gold had reached several parties.
Mulyadi added that during the search, which ran from Thursday (19 February) into the early hours of Friday (20 February), the shop owner was not present at the premises. According to information he received, the owner is a resident of Surabaya who has long operated the business at Pasar Wage in Nganjuk Regency.
"The shop owner lives in Surabaya. They've been trading in this market area since 1976 — a very long time," Mulyadi said.
In the course of the investigation, a one-star police general stated that investigators would also collaborate with PPATK to trace the relevant financial transactions.
Nganjuk's Pasar Wage market coordinator, Mulyadi, said on Friday that he had been asked to serve as a witness during the search. The team searched the entire shop, including gold jewellery and administrative documents.
"I served as a witness for the search at Toko Semar. They examined the goods in the shop, the gold jewellery, and the bookkeeping and administrative records," he said in Nganjuk.
He added that officers also removed jewellery from the shop's display cases. The gold items are believed to constitute evidence in a money laundering case linked to illegal mining currently under investigation by Bareskrim.
The case was initiated based on an analytical report from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) concerning suspicious transactions related to the domestic gold trade conducted by gold shops, as well as trading activities by gold refining companies exporting gold abroad using material suspected to have originated from unlicensed mining operations.
Regarding the illegal gold mining activities that took place in West Kalimantan between 2019 and 2022, the investigation of the predicate offence has been completed and the verdict has gained permanent legal force at the Pontianak District Court.
Based on the findings from the investigation of the predicate offence and the court proceedings, it was established that flows of funds from illegal gold had reached several parties.
Mulyadi added that during the search, which ran from Thursday (19 February) into the early hours of Friday (20 February), the shop owner was not present at the premises. According to information he received, the owner is a resident of Surabaya who has long operated the business at Pasar Wage in Nganjuk Regency.
"The shop owner lives in Surabaya. They've been trading in this market area since 1976 — a very long time," Mulyadi said.
In the course of the investigation, a one-star police general stated that investigators would also collaborate with PPATK to trace the relevant financial transactions.