Riau Police Uncover Rp1.5 Billion Illegal Gold Mining Network, Arrest Financier and Gold Shop Owner
The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) of Riau Police has uncovered a chain of gold trading from illegal gold mining (PETI) stretching from Kuantan Singingi Regency (Kuansing) to Kampar Regency. In this upstream-to-downstream investigation, police have named two suspects.
The two suspects are DI, 40, a financier and owner of a PETI raft in Kuansing, and BD, 31, owner of Syafira Jewelry gold shop in Siak Hulu District, Kampar, who allegedly received and traded gold from illegal mining.
Director of Special Criminal Investigation at Riau Police, Senior Commissioner Ade Kuncoro Ridwan, said the investigation is part of efforts to break the PETI chain from upstream to downstream.
“We are not only pursuing perpetrators at mining sites, but also those who finance, receive, process and trade illegal mining products. This chain must be broken from upstream to downstream,” Ade said on Tuesday (18/8).
The case began with the discovery of PETI activity in Sungai Paku Village, Singingi Hilir District, Kuansing, on 8 August 2026. Police detained DI along with equipment allegedly used for illegal gold mining.
From further investigation and electronic evidence, police found gold sale transactions between DI and BD that had been ongoing since May 2026. The total gold traded reached 712.44 grams with a transaction value of approximately Rp1.578 billion.
Investigators then searched Syafira Jewelry gold shop at Ulul Albab Sharia Market, Siak Hulu District, Kampar, on 11 August 2026. From the location, police seized Rp972.8 million in cash, 388.31 grams of gold jewellery, gold processing equipment, savings books and transaction records for the 2025-2026 period.
Ade said investigators will conduct financial analysis to trace transaction patterns, sources and recipients of funds, money movements and possible involvement of other parties.
“This is still being developed. We will examine the flow of mining products, the flow of money, including the possibility of other parties playing a role in this network,” he said.
This step also represents the implementation of the Green Financial Crime strategy in handling environmental crimes in Riau. Law enforcement does not stop at field perpetrators but is developed through a following-the-money approach to pursue those who finance or benefit from criminal proceeds.
“PETI is not only a matter of legal violations, but also concerns environmental and ecosystem damage. Therefore, its handling must be comprehensive and sustainable,” Ade stressed.
For their actions, both suspects are charged under Article 158 and Article 161 of Law Number 3 of 2020 on Mineral and Coal Mining. Investigators have also applied money laundering charges under Article 607 paragraph (1) letters a, b, and c of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code.
The investigation is part of Riau Police’s Green Policing implementation in handling environmental crimes comprehensively, from field perpetrators to those who finance and profit from illegal natural resource exploitation.