Six Chinese nationals who were charged for mineral theft after allegedly collecting black sand from a riverbank in Cagayan have been temporarily freed after posting bail with a local court. The Chinese nationals—identified as Lin Zhen Bing, Lin Zheng No, Lin De Nong, Lin Wen De, Lin Qyng Ma and Lin Juan Xin—each posted P12,000 before the Regional Trial Court in Cagayan to be released from detention.
The six men were arrested by Cagayan police last week while in the act of operating a cargo vessel to poach black sand from a riverbank in Barangay Jurisdiction in Lallo town. They were charged with violation of Republic Act 7942 (Philippine Mining Act of 1995).
The foreigners were allegedly operating with local mining partners in the area, although the police would not disclose the names of these companies. Cagayan Governor Alvaro Antonio earlier ordered a crackdown on illegal black sand miners in the province, as well as the seizure of their equipment, after villagers in northern Cagayan complained of alleged massive mining theft in their area. Last January, a North Korean vessel also carrying black sand sank off the shore of Pagudpud in the Cagayan-Ilocos Norte boundary. (See: 22 Koreans rescued after ship loaded with minerals sinks off Cagayan)—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV,
