Executives of Indonesian Association for Tin Industry detained

After being interrogated for more than nine hours, executives of the Indonesian Association for Tin Industry (AITI), including its chairman Apik Rasjidi and vice secretary Ismiryadi were detained by the Bangka Belitung police in Pangkal Pinang on Monday for allegedly being involved in operating a tin smelting factory without having a mining authorization, Kompas reported on Tuesday.

The police in Pangkal Pinang, the capital of Bangka and Belitung province, said Monday that Apik and Ismir, the owners of CV Dona Kembara Jaya which operated a tin smelting factory in Bangka Island were detained because they operated the tin smelter without owning a mining authorization.

Under the existing law, a tin smelter owner should have a mining authorization to provide raw materials for tin processing plants.

With the detention of Apik and Ismir, the number of suspects now totals six.

The detention of the AITI's executives followed the disclosure of three tin processing factories by force in the island last week. Hundreds of unconventional or illegal tin miners rallied and damaged the Bangka Belitung Gubernatorial Office last week to protest against the disclosure of the smelting plants. (*)