RAUB: Illegal miners operating in forest reserves in Pahang are not showing signs of slowing down despite the Covid-19 outbreak and the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) nationwide.
In the latest incident yesterday, the state Forestry Department arrested six men for carrying out illegal gold mining activities at the Tersang forest reserve near here.
Acting on a tip-off, the department's team, led by senior assistant enforcement officer Mohd Nashir Sabri Ibrahim, with Raub district and land office staff, and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers ambushed the mining site at 11am yesterday.
Department director Datuk Dr Mohd Hizamri Mohd Yasin said the raiding team travelled along logging tracks for about two kilometres before they reached the mining site at the forest reserve.
"Six men, including a Myanmar national, aged between 46 and 56, were inside a kongsi at the site. The syndicate deploys the palong technique (sluicing of gold by gravel pumps). We seized two excavators, two water pumps and two palong.
"Investigations revealed the suspects had only recently arrived and started operating at the site. The suspects were handed to the Raub police station for violating the MCO," he said.
He said the men will also be investigated under Section 32 of the National Forestry Act 1984 for illegal gold-mining.
Hizamri said despite the MCO, his men will continue their routine patrols of the forest reserves as some quarters are taking the opportunity to commit illegal mining activities.
"The department has identified the hot spots in Pahang and to date, we have raided four illegal gold mining sites. We hope the public will also provide information if they notice any unlawful activities in their area," he said.
On April 8, a 68-year-old Indonesian was caught by a team from the Rompin district Forestry office while illegally carrying out underground gold mining activities at the Bukit Ibam forest reserve in Rompin.