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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Energy & Infrastructure

Two Chinese Nationals Caught Mining Gold Illegally in North Sulawesi Forest

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry named Chinese nationals CXY and XXL suspects in an illegal gold-mining case in a protected forest area in North Sulawesi.
  • Investigators identified XXL as a field supervisor and CXY as the alleged coordinator of the mining operation.
  • Digital-forensics evidence found fund transfers through an account registered to CXY, allegedly used to pay workers, rent equipment and buy gold-processing materials.

Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry has named two Chinese nationals as suspects in an illegal gold-mining operation in the Sungai Ongkag Limited Production Forest in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi.

The ministry identified the suspects as CXY and XXL after investigators examined their roles in the operation. Ali Bahri, head of the ministry’s Sulawesi law-enforcement agency, said XXL acted as the field supervisor, while CXY allegedly coordinated the mining activities.

Investigators also obtained testimony from a digital-forensics expert who found a history of money being received and distributed through an account registered to CXY. The transactions allegedly financed worker wages, equipment rentals and materials used to process the gold.

“We will continue strengthening cooperation with the forest management unit and relevant agencies to protect forest areas from illegal mining,” Ali said. The investigation is continuing to establish the roles of other parties.

We will continue strengthening cooperation with the forest management unit and relevant agencies to protect forest areas from illegal mining.

— Ali BahriThe Forestry Ministry official described enforcement cooperation as investigators expand the case.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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