China national detained for illegal mining in Indonesia’s Borneo

INDONESIAN authorities have arrested a Chinese national suspected of conducting illegal mining activities in Borneo, according to a statement from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. 

The suspect, who was identified by the initials YH, hired 80 fellow Chinese nationals to mine and produce gold ingots at an illegal site in Ketapang regency in West Kalimantan, the ministry said in the statement on Saturday (May 11). 

Illegal mining is common in resource-rich Indonesia. State-owned miner PT Timah cited it as an issue that affected its financial performance.   

The Ketapang site doesn’t have a legal permit to operate as it has been placed under care and maintenance for some time, the ministry said. Upon investigation, the workers were found to have lengthened the mine to more than 1.6 km and expanded its tunnels, according to the statement. 

The suspects operated the mines with the help of a number of local residents who provided them with support including housekeeping and catering services, it said.