Sarolangun Police Uncover Illegal Gold Mining Operation Disguised as Silica Sand Mining

Sarolangun Police Resort (Polres), under Jambi Regional Police (Polda), has uncovered an illegal gold mining operation disguised as silica sand mining. The operation was carried out by the Special Criminal Investigation Unit (Tipidter) of Polres Sarolangun on Friday, 22 May. During the raid along the banks of Batang Asai River’s tributary near Padang Sungkai hamlet, officers seized one excavator and various mining equipment. Led by Ops Chief Kompol Angga Luvyanto, the operation apprehended five workers engaged in illegal gold mining. Notably, the suspects were not locals but from Lampung and South Sumatra provinces. The five suspects, identified as RA, 43, SP, 42, PW, 45, FA, 20, and FB, 23, are currently undergoing intensive questioning at Polres Sarolangun. The suspects allegedly attempted to deceive authorities and the public by posing as silica sand miners, while their primary activity was illegally extracting gold from the river. Sarolangun Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Wendi Oktariansyah, confirmed via Criminal Investigation Unit Chief Assistant Commissioner Yoshua Adrian that the operation stemmed from community reports about suspicious activities at the site. ‘Upon arriving at the site, the team discovered mining activities allegedly disguised as silica sand mining. Officers detained the equipment operator and workers present for further legal proceedings,’ said Yoshua Adrian on Sunday, 24 May. The suspects are suspected of violating: ‘The case is still under investigation. In essence, Polres Sarolangun remains committed to cracking down on all illegal mining activities that harm the state and cause environmental damage,’ he stressed. (I-2)