KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Illegal gold miners are reportedly targeting remote forest reserves in Malaysia’s east coast, using cover activities like agriculture and other mineral extraction to avoid detection.
Sinar Harian today reported Forestry Department Director-General Zahari Ibrahim as saying that these syndicates often conduct reconnaissance to identify gold-rich spots before bringing in heavy machinery and mining equipment.
“Once an area is identified, the syndicates bring in machinery including backhoes, excavators, four-wheel-drive vehicles, as well as equipment such as sluice boxes, water pumps and generators,” he was quoted as saying.
“These operations are also carried out with the involvement of foreign workers”.
The syndicates were also said to sometimes include former licensed miners and employ “tontos” — lookouts paid to monitor enforcement officers and delay raids.
Some individuals reportedly also operate on a smaller scale using traditional panning methods based on personal knowledge of mineral hotspots.
Zahari was quoted as saying that to date, the department has seized equipment worth RM66,500, with most cases concentrated in Pahang and Kelantan.
Illegal operations were said to be detected through satellite imaging and on-ground patrols, with offenders often clearing large forest areas and using chemicals that harm the soil and biodiversity.
He reportedly said that each hectare of forest reserve lost is valued at around RM5 million due to environmental and economic impacts, including damage to ecosystems and water sources.
Zahari reportedly urged the public to respect protected forests, warning that illegal mining leads to long-term national losses and will be met with firm enforcement.
