SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews/10 November)— Authorities have dismantled an illegal gold mining operation allegedly run by Chinese nationals in Sitio Mantigue, Barangay Poblacion 1, Santiago, Agusan del Norte, following months of surveillance and complaints from local residents.
Engr. Larry Heradez, regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Caraga XIII in Surigao City, said the joint operation conducted on November 8 involved agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region 13, the MGB, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The raid led to the seizure of heavy equipment and mining tools and the arrest of an alleged undocumented Chinese operator.
“Several other Chinese nationals managed to escape when the operatives arrived,” Heradez said.
He said the suspects used a flushing method, extracting gold by channeling pressurized water through the ore.
“The source of gold comes from the mountain but was eroded by heavy rains to the fluvial plains or riverbanks where they operated,” he explained.
Authorities believe the suspects were companions of four Chinese nationals earlier arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Agusan del Sur on October 1 for working without valid visas. The arrests were part of President Marcos Jr.’s crackdown on foreign-led operations harming the environment. The four are now detained at the Agusan del Sur Provincial Jail and are facing deportation and permanent bans from returning to the Philippines.
Investigators revealed that the illegal miners had excavated mountain areas without permits, stripping vegetation that normally prevents soil erosion.
“This operation not only destroyed natural resources,it also made communities more vulnerable,” Heradez said.
The raid followed months of intelligence gathering after residents reported heavy equipment and foreign workers in the remote sitio. Authorities are now preparing criminal and administrative charges against those involved, while the confiscated machinery remains in government custody. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
