Arutmin teams up with cooperatives linked to police, military

In a bid to protect its vast coal mining sites in South Kalimantan from illegal miners, coal mining company PT Arutmin Indonesia has made a cooperation agreement with cooperates linked to the military and the police, according to the Banjarmasin Post daily.

The paper said that the military cooperatives unit called Puskopad will become a sub contractor for Arutmin?s mining sites in the Kelumpang district, Kotabaru Regency.

A similar deal has also been signed with the Police cooperatives unit called Puskopol.

Under the deal, the two cooperatives would supervise local traditional coal miners operating at the sites. The coal would be sold back to Arutmin.

Illegal mining activity has been rampant in South Kalimantan. The illegal miners are being backed up by local businessmen who purchase their coal products.