Mining chaos in North Maluku, stirs up several transfers from the North Maluku Regional Police

Viralterkini.id, EAST HALMAHERA — The chaotic mining controversy in North Maluku has emerged again and is making a splash in the country. In the midst of PT Wana Kencana Mineral (WKM)’s efforts to enforce the law regarding alleged illegal mining by PT Position, the police officers handling this case were transferred.

The legal process stopped, the report was closed, and the public asked: who is actually protected by the law?

Cases Start in the Field, End at the Mutation Table
Initially, this case moved quickly. After receiving an official report from PT WKM, investigators from the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) of the North Maluku Regional Police went directly to the mine site in East Halmahera. They found heavy equipment activity in an area that falls within the mining business permit (IUP) area of ​​PT WKM. A police line was installed to stop the activity.

However, not long after, the direction of the investigation changed drastically. Dirkrimsus Polda North Maluku Kombes Pol. Asri Effendy and the team of investigators who led the investigation were suddenly transferred.

“The Dirkrimsus was removed, the investigator was replaced, and the case stopped,” said PT WKM’s attorney, Rolas Budiman Simanjuntak, in a public interview.

This step was considered odd because it occurred when the case was at an important stage. The public considers this mutation to be the starting point for stalled law enforcement regarding alleged illegal mining which is detrimental to the state and local communities.

Two people from PT WKM, namely Awwab Hafidz (Head of Mining Engineering) and Marsel Bambang (Mining Surveyor), were reported on charges of forest destruction. This pattern is said to be an effort to reverse the legal position: the reporter becomes the reported party, while the party being reported escapes the law.

Reports Stopped, Whistleblowers Are Criminalized
Strangely, after the officers handling the case were transferred, the PT WKM report was stopped. The order to stop the investigation (SP3) was issued without clarity on the results of the field inspection. Instead of continuing the investigation into PT Position, the police actually followed up on the counter report submitted by PT Position against WKM officials.

According to Rolas, this action seriously undermines the sense of justice.

“We came with a report of a violation of the law, not to be criminalized. But what happened was that our party was dragged down,” he said.

Until now, PT WKM continues to request that the SP3 be reviewed and the investigation process continue in a transparent manner.

Police Transfers, Momentum That Obscures Justice
The mutation incident within the North Maluku Regional Police raises many question marks. Based on the National Police Chief’s Telegram Letter Number ST/1422/VI/KEP./2025 and ST/1423/VI/KEP./2025, dated June 25 2025, a number of strategic officials were transferred from their positions, including the position of Dirkrimsus.

Police Commissioner. Asri Effendy was replaced by Kombes Pol. Edy Wahyu Susilo, without a transparent public explanation regarding the reasons for his removal. This change coincided with the termination of the investigation into the East Halmahera mining case, which from the start was considered to have a conflict of interest.

Many people suspect that the change of officials is not just a routine rotation, but is part of the power intervention behind the mining case.

“When investigators dared to touch large corporations, suddenly everything was moved. The pattern is too similar to many similar cases in the regions,” said a legal observer in Ternate who declined to be named.

Illegal Mining, Profits Flow, Laws Disappear
This case is not merely about a corporate dispute, but rather about the loss of state control over natural resources. The mining activities allegedly carried out by PT Position in the PT WKM permit area occurred without clear operational permits and without strict sanctions from the authorities.

On the other hand, this activity is suspected to have caused environmental and economic losses for the surrounding community.

“Every day there are dump trucks going in and out. If this is allowed, the state will lose control and the community will lose their rights,” said Rolas.

Meanwhile, the regional government seems to have chosen to remain silent. There are no firm steps from the North Maluku ESDM Service to confirm who actually has the right to mine in this area. The law, which should be a public fortress, actually appears to be a shield for the power of capital.

Public Call: Justice should not be transferred to investigators
A wave of pressure emerged from various circles of civil society in Ternate and East Halmahera. They asked the National Police Chief and the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency to review the termination of the PT Position case and restore public trust in law enforcement officers.

According to Rolas, the only way to restore legal authority is to reopen the case file and continue the investigation from the last point.

“If the law can be bought, then officials are no longer enforcers of the law, but protectors of interests,” he said.

This case is a dark reflection of the face of law enforcement in North Maluku. If left unchecked, it will set a precedent that justice can be transferred along with investigators, and law loses meaning in the face of economic power. (ma)