The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) through the Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement arrested illegal tin miners in the mangrove conservation area in East Belitung. KLHK claimed that illegal activities are the main factors of mangrove destruction.
KLHK initiated the operation in response to reports of illegal tin mining in the Manggar Watershed Mangrove Conservation Area and Mangrove Forest Ecosystem (APL) in 2022.
After an in-depth investigation, three people were named as suspects: RA (23), S (49), and MR (37), as field coordinators in illegal mining at three distinct locations on March 3, 2022.
RA was arrested by the KLHK Law Enforcement Investigators on August 23, 2022. During the investigation, RA was detained at the Salemba Detention Center while the other two suspects remained at large.
“We pursued and managed to arrest one suspect, identified as RA. During our investigation, we discovered the ‘cukong’ or the financier behind this crime,” the Director General of Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement Rasio Ridho Sani stated during a press conference on Tuesday (11/4).
The financier, identified as TJC, also known as ABC (59), was arrested by KLHK’s Law Enforcement Investigators on March 16th, 2023 in Damar, East Belitung.
Rasio Sani emphasized the importance of investigating and developing the case, as the illegal mining has caused extensive damage to the mangrove forest.
“The case is very important, as mining crimes not only damage the environment and mangrove ecosystems but also disrupt the local communities,” he added.
On the same occasion, the Director of Criminal Law Enforcement KLHK, Yazid Nurhuda stated, the suspects are possibly charged with Article 98 of Law no. 32 of 2009 concerning the environmental protection and management, in conjunction with Article 55 (1) of the Criminal Code (KUHP).
TJC and RA are subject to 10 years of imprisonment at maximum and fine of IDR10 billion.
