17 November 2008 Indonesian police fight tin smuggling
Police in Bangka-Belitung province have stepped up efforts to control illegal mining and smuggling of tin ore. Most independent tin smelters ceased operations last month as world tin prices fell sharply, leaving small scale miners with a much reduced market for their production.
"Although the governor has urged smelters to stop operating, tin mining is still operating," Iskandar Hassan, the Bangka-Belitung police chief, told Reuters. "Who knows, tin ore might be smuggled. What we anticipate now is smuggling and our target is illegal mining."
There have been cases of tin ore smuggling between October and early November and police have questioned 18 people allegedly involved in tin smuggling, he said. The police has also confiscated 223 tonnes of tin ore which was going to be smuggled outside the country, he said. Indonesia banned the export of tin concentrates in 2002, a move which subsequently resulted in a boom in investment in tin smelting in Bangka and Belitung. – ITRI
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