Prosecutors probe illegal-imported trucks and cars of Berau Coal

Coal mining company PT Berau Coal, operates coal mines in Lati and Binuang, Tanjung Redeb district, East Kalimantan admitted that the provincial prosecutors were doing an investigation into the company following reports that it had illegally imported 40 dump trucks and two cars from Malaysia, Kaltim Post reported.

Company human relations and general affairs manager Kristianto said the company was not responsible for the allegedly illegal importation of the trucks and cars as the importation was not done by the company but its contractor PT Mentari Bukit Makmur.

"Honestly speaking, we did not examine the source of the vehicles that it brought into the mining sites. This is a valuable lesson to us," Kritianto said.

The trucks and cars were reportedly "smuggled" from Kinibalu, North Kalimantan, which is the territory of Malaysia, into Berau's coal mines through East Kalimantan's town of Tarakan.

The Indonesian navy detained the trucks and cars last week on a pontoon bound from Tarakan to Berau's operating site on charges that the vehicles were not equipped with complete documents.

Suara Kaltim reported the public prosecutors were also doing investigation at the Tarakan customs and excise office to see its involvement in the case. (*)