inp.polri.go.id - Manokwari. The Head of Public Relations of the West Papua Regional Police, Senior Superintendent Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo, conveyed that the police successfully uncovered illegal gold mining that occurred in the Masni District, Manokwari Regency.
This case began with a public report, which was then followed up by the Special Crimes Directorate's investigative team. Based on two police reports received on July 26, 2025, a police team investigated two locations of illegal mining activity, located on the Wariori River, Kali Stop, and Kali Bunda Ros, in Masni District.
The activity took place intensively from June to July 2025, and the perpetrators carried out the mining without official permits from the authorities.
During the operation at these locations, the team successfully apprehended two suspects, Muhammad Nurdin and Akram.
The operation also secured a number of pieces of evidence, including eight Komatsu and one Caterpillar excavator, 250 grams of gold, gold processing equipment such as molds, hoses, melting tools, welding torches, and other mining equipment, as well as hundreds of precious metal certificates.
Additionally, notebooks, communication devices, gas cylinders, and other equipment supporting illegal mining activities were also found.
These illegal gold mining activities were organized carefully by the perpetrator by utilizing river areas as panning locations, without paying attention to environmental and safety aspects.
"The investigation doesn't stop with the perpetrators in the field, but is also directed at tracing the flow of funds and other actors who act as supporters and receivers of illegal mining proceeds. Currently, two names, Edy Siswanto and Masming Supurada, have been added to the wanted list," he explained, as reported by RRI on Tuesday (8/5/2025).
The two suspects who have been arrested are being charged under several articles of applicable laws, including Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction, as amended by Law Number 6 of 2023, and Law Number 3 of 2020 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining.
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