Pangkalpinang. Indonesian authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle approximately 20 tons of tin sand to Malaysia, seizing a vessel off the coast of Bangka Belitung Province and arresting its captain, police said Friday.

The suspect, identified by his initials LM, 39, is a resident of the Riau Islands Province and was detained during the Thursday operation.

“We confiscated 400 sacks, each containing 50 kilograms of tin sand, from the vessel Laut Biru-V,” said Chief Commissioner Fauzan Sukmawansyah, spokesperson for the Bangka Belitung Police.

The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing further questioning. Preliminary findings indicate the ship was en route to Malaysia to deliver the illicit cargo, Fauzan said.

The incident is the latest in a string of recent smuggling attempts targeting the region’s mineral resources. Just last month, the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) intercepted a vessel carrying 600 sacks of tin sand bound for Malaysia’s Mersing Island, arresting five crew members.

In March, Bangka Belitung Police also disrupted a tin smuggling ring, seizing a wooden boat and two trucks in a covert operation.

Indonesia has intensified its crackdown on illegal mining and smuggling. A stricter mining law adopted earlier this year carries penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of up to Rp 100 billion ($6 million) for the illegal extraction and trade of minerals.

Since the administration of former President Joko Widodo, the government has banned the export of unprocessed ores -- including nickel and bauxite -- in an effort to drive domestic mineral processing and industrialization.

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