Police evict illegal miners from Newcrest?s Toguraci mine

Police had moved on Monday to expel illegal miners from Newcrest Mining Limited?s concession in Toguraci, North Halmahera, a company source said.

The source said police elite unit Mobile Brigade had been successful to repel a score of illegal miners that had blocked development of Toguraci gold mine for weeks.

?The equipment had been moved back to Toguraci and we hope that they (illegal miners) will not come back,? said a company official.

The ASX-listed gold mining company had been forced to delay development of Toguraci mine which is originally planned to come into production by the end of this year, after local people conducted unauthorized mining in the company?s mining area.

Toguraci mine contains 300,000 ounces of gold.

Illegal miners had been rampant in Indonesia after the fall of dictator Soeharto. Australian miner Aurora Gold (now Abelle Limited) had to give up two of its highly prospective mining concessions in North Sulawesi after thousands of illegal miner occupied and exploited the company?s concession.

Newcrest holds 82.5 percent equity in PT Nusa Halmahera Mineral, which runs the Halmahera gold mine, while state miner PT Aneka Tambang Tbk, holds the remaining 17.5 percent. (alex)