JAKARTA, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian police arrested miners who had illegally mined in a traditional mining site in crackdown on environment damage.
Six miners looking for gold in an unlicensed mining site in Sako Margosari village in Riau province's Kuantan Singingi district were captured by the local police, the district police's chief Hengkly Poerwanto said on Thursday.
Evidences such as engines and pipes were seized from the miners, the police officer said.
"Now, the miners have been detained at the prison of the police headquarters in the district," said the police officer, adding the miners were arrested on Tuesday.
"We will do our best in preventing illegal mining activities," Poerwanto noted.
The Indonesian government has banned the operation of illegal mining which has often failed to apply safety standards, leading to mine accidents.
In Kuantan Singingi alone, six illegal miners were killed recently after a mining site collapsed, local media reported. Enditem
