Koba Tin under police investigation

A joint team made up of personnel from the Indonesian police's detective and crime unit and the Bangka Belitung police office are now investigating PT Koba Tin for allegedly being a fence of illegal tin sand, Kompas reported Wednesday.

Police have reportedly inspected the tin processing plant area, the second largest one in Bangka Belitung since Tuesday afternoon. The plant area, situated in Koba, Central Bangka is now being guarded tightly by police.

Bangka Belitung's police office head Imam Soedjarwo said that Koba Tin has allegedly received tin sand from miners who illegally mined tin in an area beyond the company's working area approved by the government.

Imam asserted that Koba Tin can continue to operate as usual but the items allegedly related to the company's role as the fence would be confiscated.

Meanwhile, PT Koba Tin's director for administration affairs Matias Heryanto said that in conducting exploration and exploitation activities, Koba Tin teams up with around 15 partners who work based on an agreement.

Under the agreement, the partners should mine tin on Koba Tin's working area. Koba Tin holds the contract of work second generation that has been extended to 2013, with a working area of 41,680 hectares.

Koba Tin, 75 percent owned by Malaysia Smelting Corp and 25 percent by state-owned tin miner PT Timah. (*)