Batam, Batamnews - Illegal sand mining activities still rampantly continue in the Batu Besar area, Batam, Riau Islands (Kepri). The thing is, it hasn't been a week since the Barelang Police Satreskrim made an arrest.

This activity can be seen from hundreds of dump trucks going back and forth through the public road access in front of the Riau Islands Police Headquarters. To trick the officers, the players of illegal sand miners carry out their activities at night.

"There were 7 perpetrators that we arrested at that time, a person with the initials A (25) as the owner, and 6 people with the initials R (59), CP (26), S (39), AR (21), J (38) and R (21) as workers in the mine," said Kasatreskrim Barelang Police Commissioner Reza Morandy Tarigan, Thursday (23/9/2021).

The arrest of the seven perpetrators was based on information and complaints from the surrounding community. The police immediately coordinated with the BP Batam Ditpam and BP Batam water catchment area officers to investigate the information.

Meanwhile, a local resident, David, explained that the sand mining activity often disturbs the residents' activities. Where residents who pass through public roads are disturbed by dust and sand carried by trucks carrying soil.

The process of making sand is also not only in Mata Ikan Bay, there are several points in the Batu Besar area.

"There are many, they even do it at night, there are those who do the shooting system using water, there are also those who use the soil from the cutting and then wash it in the Panglong area," he said.

The sand mining activity has long disrupted the activities of passers-by. The hope of local residents is that the police will not only secure the workers at one point.

"Try to do it at night, it's crowded here with hundreds of lorries going back and forth," concluded David.