BESIDES river sand, this newspaper was also alerted to the booming illicit marine sand extraction and export business.
This has been going on just outside of Perak’s waters. This newspaper was told that there were 10 areas under federal jurisdiction approved for sand mining.
Mining is sanctioned with licences that could only be issued by the Lands and Mines Department, a federal agency parked under the Natural Resources and Environmental Ministry.
“Some companies, licensed by the department to mine in 10 specific and designated plots, had been encroaching on waters that come under states’ jurisdiction (three nautical miles from the shoreline) and the sand is sent to the Penang and Klang ports.
“There is also the problem of smugglers who would keep their stockpile close to ports, to facilitate illicit export.”
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Maritime 3 district director Maritime Captain Wan Mat Wan Abdullah said the agency had received reports from miners that their areas were being encroached by others.
“Some companies came to us claiming they have been licensed to mine, but when they arrived at the designated area, they discovered that it had been mined.”
NST also spoke to sources in other marine enforcement agencies who said that Malaysian sand had been illegally exported to a neighbouring country.
“They declared that they were sending it somewhere in the country, but the consignment never arrived.
“There are also cases of false declaration. They claimed that the consignment was silica when it was sand. The problem is we do not have the expertise to identify which is which.” Wan Junaidi said he wanted to make clear that the ministry had never issued any approved permits for sand export from Perak.
“The menteri besar would not agree to it. I have given the instruction to put everything related to Perak’s sand on hold, following the menteri besar’s request.
“I will have the ministry’s secretary-general, who is leading a task force comprising the Navy, police, MMEA and others, to look deeper into this matter.”
He expressed concerns about the possibility that these smugglers might have been exporting the sand as silica.
“Silica can be exported, but I am worried that they might be exporting sand using silica permit. We need everyone to be wary of this, including the Customs Department.”