IPOH: Police have denied the existence of gangsterism activities in disused mining pools around the Perak Tengah district as reported in a local newspaper last Monday.
Perak Tengah district police chief Supt Barudin Wariso said acting on the news report, police conducted an immediate investigation into the matter to ensure the validity of the article entitled “Gengster Diupah Jaga Bekas Lombong”.
“It’s actually a dispute involving certain parties over disused mining pools, which has been going on since 2018. Checks also found that the state government has never allowed any party to operate in the area.
“Police have also received several reports regarding the dispute from early March until now,” he said in a statement here today.
Barudin said police had also held several discussions with representatives from the Central Perak District and Land Office and the Head of the Land and District Office and the Perak Tengah district fisheries department chief to find an amicable solution to the issue.
However, he said investigations would continue to be conducted as police viewed seriously any action that can disrupt peace and public order.
The newspaper article claimed that dozens of disused mining pools in Perak had been illegally encroached upon for agricultural and livestock breeding purposes, thus threatening the source of income of freshwater fishermen whose livelihood depended on fishing in these areas.
The illegal operators have reportedly hired gangsters to guard the disused mining pools to prevent the public from entering the areas.
State police chief Datuk Razarudin Husain on Monday urged inland fishermen who have received threats from gangster groups claiming to be guarding disused mining pools in Perak to lodge police reports.
He said police would investigate and take action according to the provisions of the law if the allegations of threats to the fishermen’s safety were found to be true. — Bernama
