Two Indonesians were also arrested, bringing the total number of suspects in the case to six.
The Director of Special Crimes at the Papua Regional Police, Senior Commissioner I Gusti Gede Era Adhinata, said in Jayapura on Tuesday that the suspects were named following an investigation and the seizure of evidence at the Kali Pur site in Senggi, Jayapura District, on August 26, 2025.
The suspects have been charged under Article 158 in conjunction with Article 35 paragraph (3) letter a of Law No. 3 of 2020 on Mineral and Coal Mining, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to Rp100 billion (US$6.14 million). They were also charged under Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.
The four Chinese suspects are CL (46), a surveying machine technician who supervised production and trained Indonesian workers; WCD (60), an electrical technician responsible for on-site repairs.
Meanwhile, CHT (40), an intermediary connecting investors with AAM HN, and CD (41), an investor directly involved in the field.
The two Indonesian suspects are AAM HN (47), Director of PT Saveree Gading International Group, who provided capital and infrastructure for the mining project; and LHS (46), who worked as a translator and managed employee salaries.
"Since August 26, the mining site at Kali Pur has been sealed off with police tape," Adhinata said, accompanied by Head of Public Relations Senior Commissioner Cahyo Sukarnito.
Investigations revealed that the mining operation began in May and had already produced 275 grams of gold.
"One of the suspects, identified as CK, who also acted as a financier, took the gold to China," Adhinata added.
Related news: West Papua Police arrest 31 in illegal gold mining crackdown
Translator: Arie Novarina
Editor: Primayanti
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