Three Suspects Charged in Illegal Gold Mining Money Laundering Case Worth Rp25.9 Trillion; Police Seize Billions in Cash and Dozens of Kilograms of Gold

Jakarta — Indonesia’s National Police Criminal Investigation Bureau (Bareskrim Polri) has named three suspects in a money laundering case involving illegal gold mining operations valued at Rp25.9 trillion.

The three suspects, identified as TW, DW, and BSW, are accused of involvement in a network engaged in receiving, processing, and refining gold sourced from unlicensed mining activities (PETI). Their alleged roles encompassed the entire chain from collection through processing to refinement of illegally mined gold.

Brigadier General Ade Safri Simanjuntak, Director of Special Economic Crime at Bareskrim Polri, explained that the case emerged following analysis of suspicious transactions by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) regarding domestic gold trade flows.

“Based on investigative findings, accumulated gold sales transactions allegedly originating from illegal mining during the 2019-2025 period reached Rp25.9 trillion,” Simanjuntak stated on Friday, 13 March 2026.

According to Simanjuntak, the transaction value reflects the entire business chain operated by the suspects, ranging from purchasing raw gold from illegal mines to selling refined gold to refining companies and exporters.

During the investigation, police gathered substantial evidence before formally designating the suspects through case deliberation. “Investigators have compiled witness statements, expert testimonies, documentation, physical evidence and other materials. Suspect designation was formalised on 27 February 2026,” Simanjuntak explained.

To uncover the network, investigators conducted searches at multiple locations in East Java. Initial searches were conducted on 19-20 February 2026 across five different sites, including two locations in Nganjuk Regency (a residential house and Toko Mas Semar jewellery shop) and three locations in Surabaya City (one residential house and two gold refining companies).

Police seized billions of rupiah in cash and dozens of kilograms of gold during the operations.