Action by police on Indonesia’s Bangka island aimed at controlling ore shipments from illegal mining continues to affect tin supplies from the island. State tin company PT Timah is now facing delays in shipping refined tin, ore supplies to a private smelter have been seized and PT Koba Tin remains out of operation.
PT Timah, Indonesia’s largest tin producer, said exports of the refined metal are now being delayed after local police seized and sealed a boat containing ore on February 22, blocking access for the mining company’s overseas shipments. “We want to export, but the boat that is being investigated is in the way,” Corporate Secretary Abrun Abubakar told Bloomberg in a telephone interview today. “Exports are being delayed, and we expect to resume on the 10th.”. Timah ships ore and metal through its private port near its Mentok smelter.
Meanwhile police have detained trucks carrying tin ore to a private smelter on Thursday, sources in Bangka told Metal Bulletin. The three trucks, carrying around 23 tonnes of ore, were heading to PT Tinindo Internusa when they were stopped and detained by police on suspicion that the ore was obtained from illegal miners, one source told MB, citing police officials. It is unclear if police will take action against the smelter, which has smelting capacity of around 200 tpm.
