Police Uncover Illegal Tin Sand Mining and Smuggling to Malaysia, Seven Suspects Arrested
Jakarta – The Indonesian National Police (Polri) has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the nation’s natural resources. Through the Directorate of Specific Criminal Acts at the National Police Criminal Investigation Command, Polri, in cooperation with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance, has successfully exposed illegal mining practices and the smuggling of tin sand from the Bangka Belitung Islands to Malaysia.
This discovery represents the result of cross-institutional synergy undertaken swiftly, measurably, and professionally to prevent state losses and halt the theft of natural wealth.
The case originated on Monday, 23 February 2026, when Customs officers received information about a vessel suspected of carrying illegal tin sand for smuggling to Malaysia. On Tuesday, 24 February 2026, officers successfully secured the vessel KM Rezeki Laut II carrying 319 sacks of tin sand without official documentation.
The vessel, along with one captain and four crew members, was subsequently handed over to the Bareskrim Polri (National Police Criminal Investigation Command) for further investigation and prosecution.
From the investigation’s development, Polri arrested two suspects, identified as A and M, on the island of Belitung. Both are suspected of acting as receivers, managers, and dispatchers of illegal tin sand.
Examination revealed that the tin sand originated from illegal mining using shaking tables, which was then collected, refined, and prepared for shipment abroad. The perpetrators are known to have conducted at least four shipments of illegal tin sand to Malaysia, with the final destination being a smelter in Malaysia.
Additionally, the captain and three crew members of KM Rezeki Laut II have been named as suspects for transporting illegal tin sand without authorisation.
On Saturday, 28 February 2026, investigators visited the location of the illegal tin sand processing facility in Kelapa Kampit, East Belitung Regency. At the site, police discovered the shaking table used to refine tin ore, seized evidence, and cordoned off the area.
Brigadier General Irhamni, responsible for directing the case, provided a statement to reporters. “Our objective in coming here is to pursue the criminal case of smuggling and illegal mining of tin sand. This location is the processing site involved in the smuggling operation we apprehended yesterday in coordination with our Customs colleagues,” Brigadier General Irhamni stated on Sunday, 1 March 2026.