500,000 tons of illegal coal exported from Satui in one year
Wednesday, October 11 2000 - 04:30 AM WIB
About 500,000 tons of coal had been illegally shipped to overseas markets from four ports in the Satui district, Kotabaru regency, South Kalimantan over the past year, Kapos daily reported.
The paper quoted a source as saying the ports, privately owned by PT Texindo, PT Dharma Kencana, PT Handayani Suki Nusaka Mitra and PT Jayanti Group, had yet to obtain permits from the Ministry of Communication to become loading points for coal shipment.
The source said the coals exported from the ports were mostly collected from illegal miners in the areas of Kintap, Tanah Laut and Satui.
The source said the Satui port authorities could not stop the shipment of the illegal coal because the coal shipment was backed up by the son of a top official at the province's communication office.
Kotabaru regent Sjachrani Mataya said he had received reports about the involvement of the official's son and he had instructed the Satui port authorities to stop the shipment of the illegal coals. (*)