15 Sinos held for black sand mining in Cagayan

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Fifteen Chinese nationals were arrested the other day for allegedly engaging in illegal black sand mining in the coastlines of Cagayan.

Mario Ancheta, director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Cagayan Valley, said the Chinese were working for Huaxia Trading and Mining Corp., which was reportedly found to have been illegally extracting black sand along the shores of Aparri town.

Reports said the 15 Chinese are currently in the custody of the Bureau of Immigration-Aparri district after they were found to be undocumented.

Ancheta said the raid on the firm’s mining site in Paddaya village was a joint effort between the MGB and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) regional office based in Tuguegarao City.

“We have earlier issued a stoppage order to Huaxia mining for conducting mining within the prohibited zone. We implemented the order with the NBI last Thursday and Friday,” Ancheta said.

He said they confiscated mining equipment and were readying charges against the company and the arrested Chinese.

Ancheta said he also issued the same stoppage order on two other firms – Lian Xing Philippines Curving Co. Corp. and Land Wealth Resources Inc. – for extracting black sand outside of their permitted area or within the prohibited zone in Gonzaga town.

“These firms have already stopped their operations and are currently facing sanctions for not complying with the terms and conditions as stipulated in their permits,” he said.

Black sand or magnetite commands a high price in foreign markets as it is used as additive in manufacturing concrete and steel products, magnets, paint, ink, paper, jewelry and cosmetics.

The three firms were granted permits by the MGB and the provincial government supposedly to dredge the coastlines and rivers in northern Cagayan towns.

Anti-mining advocates claimed that instead of dredging, the firms’ real target was to extract black sand. – With Teddy Molina