GOF nabs 15, seizes gold mining equipment in Terengganu
MARANG: The General Operations Force (GOF) detained 15 people and seized various mining equipment worth RM449,000 under the Op Gali Mega Eastern Zone at Bukit Kor today.
Marang: The General Operations Force (GOF) apprehended 15 individuals and seized mining equipment valued at RM449,000 in the Op Gali Mega Eastern Zone operation in Bukit Kor today. Commanding Officer SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain disclosed that the 15 suspects, comprising 11 foreigners aged between 20 and 40, were suspected of engaging in unlawful gold mining activities.
He stated that an investigation revealed the mining operations had been ongoing for a month in a 4.05ha area. During the raid, authorities confiscated heavy machinery, eight water pumps, three generators, two gold sifters, and a rock crushing machine. The arrested foreigners included a Vietnamese national and 10 Cambodians, he informed a media conference in Bukit Kor.
He revealed that the investigation also uncovered that miners could extract up to 40g of gold daily, indicating that the illegal gold mining activities in Bukit Kor were not merely small-scale digging but rather part of a well-organized chain of operations, from excavation to marketing. Consequently, the GOF will investigate the landowner to ascertain any potential link to the mining activities.
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