Investigators from the National Police’s Directorate of Special Crime targeted two houses in Surabaya and Nganjuk, plus a jewelry shop in Nganjuk. The action aims to trace assets connected to illicit gold trading, Brig. Gen. Ade Safri Simanjuntak, the directorate head, said Thursday.

“Investigators seized letters, documents, electronic devices, cash and gold from the three sites,” Simanjuntak told reporters. “All are suspected in the storage and sale of gold from unlicensed mining.”

The raids followed a court verdict against operators of an illegal gold mine in West Kalimantan. That site ran from 2019 to 2022 until authorities closed it. Dozens of people received sentences, though Simanjuntak gave no names or terms.

After the ruling, Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) examined the mine’s finances. It uncovered Rp 25.8 trillion in trades from 2019 to 2022. Funds moved through gold shops, refining firms using raw materials from the illegal site, and exporters. That sparked the money laundering case.

“This probe shows our resolve to hit every link in illegal mining—from storage and processing to sales of unlawful gold,” Simanjuntak said. Police have interviewed 37 witnesses so far. No suspects named yet. “Suspects come after we check all evidence and statements,” he added.

PPATK data paints a broader picture. Nationwide illegal gold mining transactions hit Rp 185 trillion from 2023 to 2025. Over Rp 155 trillion landed in accounts of companies tied to key network figures. Some cash flowed overseas via gold exports to Singapore, Thailand and the United States.

The National Police Criminal Investigation Agency’s Special Crimes Directorate mapped 1,517 illegal mining sites in 2025. They pulled gold, tin and coal. North Sumatra led with 396 sites, then West Java at 314 and South Kalimantan with 230, deputy director Feby Dapot Hutagalung said, citing Bloomberg Technoz data. He pointed to high-level protection for many operations.

Global gold prices have driven a boom. Illegal gold mining area jumped from 366 hectares in 2021 to 7,232 hectares in 2023—a nearly 20-fold rise—according to environmental group Auriga Nusantara. Provinces like Riau and West Sumatra have pushed to legalize some artisanal mines for better oversight and safety. Groups warn legalization might worsen environmental harm and disaster risks without deeper fixes.

Simanjuntak stressed the police focus on dismantling financial pipelines. Investigators continue analyzing seized items. PPATK flagged the spread of these networks, urging tighter controls on gold trades.