Febriyan, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial government curb an illegal gold mining site in Lendek Bare Village, Sekotong District, West Lombok Regency.
The KPK Coordination and Supervision Team, the NTB Environment and Forestry Office, and the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Environment and Forestry Law Enforcement installed a prohibitory sign to dissuade mining in the forest area.
The Head of the KPK Regional Coordination and Supervision Task Force, Dian Patria, said the illegal gold mine was shut down due to environmental damages and state loss.
"The forest area was infringed, and the illegal gold mine utilizes mercury. Their method is extraordinary, they doused cyanide into a stockpile the size of a football field, just imagine what kind of waste it generated. And to date, the government seemingly ignores this issue, what's going on here?" Dian said at the location of the illegal gold mine on Friday, October 4, 2024.
Dian said installing the prohibitory sign at the mining location was just the start. Dian hopes the NTB Environment Office and the Energy and Mineral Resources Office, along with other relevant authorities, could further handle the case. "We are pushing for the Environment and Forestry Office to continue and find the criminal aspects of the case," he said.
Acting Head of the NTB Environment Office, Mursal, said the illegal gold mine cleared today was the largest on Lombok Island and possibly in the whole of NTB.
Mursal stated that for two years, the illegal gold mine had been run by several Chinese nationals. Last August, the foreign citizens fled the area after local residents set fire to their settlements.
According to Mursal, the 98.16-hectare gold mine was registered under the mining permit of PT Indotan Lombok Barat Bangkit (ILBB). Mursal said PT ILBB also seemed to turn a blind eye to the existence of the illegal mine and only installed a prohibitory sign last August.
"That was after I made it viral on TikTok," he said.
Head of the Regional Environment and Forestry Law Enforcement Department, Ardhi Yusuf, estimated that the illegal gold mine could produce 2 kilograms of gold per day. Assuming the price of gold is around Rp1 million per gram, the turnover at this particular gold mine is expected to reach Rp2 billion per day.
"Approximately Rp60 billion per month and Rp720 billion per year. That's the estimate," he said.
Dian Patria also contested the existence of an illegal gold mine in the area under PT ILBB's administration. Dian suspected the company to have let the mine operate to avoid tax.
"Potentially, the mining site was allowed to operate to avoid paying for tax, non-tax state revenue, royalties, levies, and others," he said.