Government authorities arrested six alleged illegal miners in a small-scale mining area located at Purok 8, Barangay Maibu, Butuan City on Saturday, November 23.
According to a Manila Bulletin report, the suspects were now under the custody of Butuan City Police Office-Station 4 (BCPO-S4), awaiting the filing of appropriate charges for the alleged violation of Section 103, or “Theft of Minerals” of Republic Act 7942 or “Mineral Resources Exploitation Development, Utilization and Conservation.”
The BCPO-S4 was able to confiscate one unit of air compressor, sacks of ore stocks, wooden pans, 20 meters of nylon rope, 40 meters of no.2 water hose, improvised wooden flushing box, and other mining materials.
It was also documented in the report that some illegal miners in Maibu used the destructive “banlas” or sluice mining method. It is done by pouring a large amount of water onto a mountain surface to loosen rocks containing gold and then panning them using mercury.
Following a tip-off, Butuan City Mobile Force Company and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Sub Monitoring Unit raided the illegal mining operation in Maibu.
