Indonesia charges 24 foreigners as suspects in illegal gold mining case, ministry says

 Indonesia has charged 24 foreign nationals as criminal suspects in an illegal gold mining operation in the country's Maluku region, its energy ministry said.

Here are the details:

• The suspects were allegedly building infrastructure for the illegal mines, including roads and processing facilities around the Gunung Botak area of Maluku, said energy ministry official Jeffri Huwae in a statement released late on Thursday.

• Violations of the law could carry maximum prison sentences of five years, the ministry added.

• The ministry did not give the nationalities of the suspects or the amount of gold produced. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• State news agency Antara reported last month that 24 Chinese nationals in Gunung Botak working under the sponsorship of local company PT Harmoni Alam Manise had been detained for questioning.

• The ministry said 12 of the foreign nationals are still at large and outside of Indonesia's jurisdiction, with the other 12 already detained.

• Two other Indonesians were named as criminal suspects along with the foreign nationals, the ministry added.

• There have been illegal mining operations involving foreign nationals previously.

• Police in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua arrested four Chinese nationals in the Senggi district last year, Antara reported.

Reuters

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