Sand still smuggled to Singapore, police say
Published by MAC on 2007-02-16Sand still smuggled to Singapore, police say
The Jakarta Post
16th February 2007
JAKARTA (Antara): Riau Islands Police chief Brig. Gen. Sutarman said Friday that illegal export of sand to Singapore from the province still continued although the government has issued a regulation to ban it.
"Yesterday (Thursday), when I just returned home from Johor, I saw it (the illegal shipping)," Sutarman was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
He said he saw some 10 boats with Indonesian flags were on Singapore waters, carrying sand taken from Indonesia.
According to Sutarman, Indonesian security could do nothing to prevent the shippings after the boats were on Singapore' territory.
Commenting on Sutarman's statement, head of the Sea Security Coordinating Body Mid. Marshal Djoko Sumarsono said his body has tried to tighten petrol in border areas, but saying that the territory is to wide to cover.
Sand exports were banned under the Trade Minister Regulation No. 02/M-DAG/PER/1/2007 starting on Feb. 6.