Bombana, S E Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The police in Bombana district , South East Sulawesi, have detained at least 34 illegal gold miners, a police officer said.
Eight of them were eventually named suspects, Chief of Bombana police precinct Adjunct Commissioner Muh.Sioti said here Thursday.

The suspects only identified as LB, 45, SKR, 41, AMR, 25, AL, 36, ASN, 27, AW, 33, AHD, 32, and IW, 38 were caught in two days of sweeping operations this week, he said.

All the suspects could be jailed for four years if the court found them guilty, Sioti said.

The sweeping operations were conducted from March 15 through April 3 in traditional gold mining areas such as the villages of Wumbubangka and Watu-Watu, Rarowatu Utara district, he said.

Besides arresting the suspects, the police also seized things always used by the illegal gold miners, such as generators, carpets, and plastic pipes, he said.

The suspects testified to the police investigators that they exploited the gold mining areas to meet the order of PT.Bahtera Sultra Mining (BSM) company, Sioti said.

However, PT BSM`s confirmation to the suspects` testimonies was not yet available. Sioti said the company was not actually allowed to exploit the mining areas because it still had exploration permit.

The gold mining potentials are not found in southeastern part but also central, northern and southern parts of Sulawesi.

The unproven gold reserves in South Sulawesi have even been claimed as the biggest in the world.

(T.SYS/R013/H-YH/S026)

Editor: Suryanto
COPYRIGHT © 2012

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