KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Aug — The police seized 33,000 tonnes of natural resources worth nearly RM21 million from 24 illegal mines in 10 states during the General Operations Force's (GOF) Ops Gali Mega, from Wednesday (August 19) to Sunday (August 23).
Internal Security and Public Order Department (JKDNKA) director Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said 99 individuals were arrested in the operation, involving 61 locals and 38 undocumented migrants aged between 18 and 64.
"The operation involved kaolin, coal, stone, and soil quarries, as well as sand mines, with 45 locations inspected and 24 of them found to be operating illegally, while another 21 had valid mining licences," he said during a media conference on the operation today.
Also present was the Malaysian Minerals and Geoscience Department's Technical Services Division senior director Datuk Ahmad Zukni Ahmad Khalil.
In addition to natural resources, the police also seized 55 vehicles worth nearly RM14.8 million, 87 heavy machinery (RM38.7 million), and 194 units of mining equipment worth RM44.3 million, bringing the total value of the seizures to nearly RM119 million.
Yusri added that their investigations also identified 32 individuals and 21 companies believed to be involved in the activity, and handed the list to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) to investigate possible tax evasion.
"Intelligence gathering before the operations took between two weeks and a month, while the actual duration of the illegal mining operations is still being investigated, with some believed to have been operating for three to five years," he said.
Sabah recorded the highest number of illegal mining locations detected at 14, followed by Sarawak (seven), Pahang (six), Selangor (four), Terengganu, Kelantan and Perak (three each), Kedah (two), Negeri Sembilan (two), and Johor (one).
Police are also investigating the entire illegal mining chain, including those who extract, purchase and market the natural resources, believed to be traded illegally on the black market.
"The activity exists because there is a demand for the natural resources and investigations are underway to identify the parties involved in the chain," Yusri said.
Meanwhile, Zukni said more than 100 licensed mines are currently operating nationwide, with legal mining activities subject to conditions and controls set by the authorities.
Every licensed mine must comply with various regulations and standard operating procedures, including pollution control and environmental management, to ensure mining activities do not affect the surrounding areas.
"Mining carried out without a permit or in non-compliance with licence conditions poses a huge risk to the environment because there is no proper control over pollution, which in turn can cause damage to water catchment areas, soil erosion and the destruction of natural habitats," he said.
