West Sumatra Police Vow to Eradicate Illegal Mining

The West Sumatra Regional Police (Polda Sumbar) has demonstrated a firm commitment to eradicating illegal mining practices within its jurisdiction. The Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimsus) Polda Sumbar stated it will not hesitate to take decisive action against all forms of unlicensed mining (PETI), which are deemed to severely damage the environment and harm the state. The statement was made during a press conference held at the Polda Sumbar headquarters on Wednesday (29/7), led by Director of Special Criminal Investigation, Commissioner Andry Kurniawan. “We are serious. The Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation will not hesitate to take firm action in the field against PETI activities in West Sumatra, because it clearly causes massive losses and environmental damage,” he asserted. Commissioner Kurniawan added that investigators have already gathered important information regarding the network, including the identities of parties acting as collectors or buyers of the illegal mining products. The investigation is ongoing to fully uncover the criminal chain. The Head of Public Relations for Polda Sumbar, Commissioner Susmelawati Rosya, confirmed that the crackdown is a direct implementation of the Regional Police Chief’s commitment to uphold the law and respond to public concern over environmental destruction.