OPOL, Misamis Oriental — A 29-year-old man from Naawan, Misamis Oriental was arrested after authorities allegedly caught him engaged in illegal mining activities in Zone 2, Barangay Limonda, Opol, on Wednesday afternoon, September 2, 2026.
The arrest was carried out during an enforcement operation led by Task Force Kalikasan ug Kalinaw, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 10 and the Opol Municipal Police Station (MPS).
Authorities said the operation was conducted in compliance with a Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO) issued by DENR-10 against the mining activity in the area.
The operation involved personnel from the Opol MPS under the leadership of PMAJ Antonio Luy Jr., as well as members of the 88th Infantry Battalion (88IB), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Regional Mobile Force Battalion 10 (RMFB-10) and other concerned government authorities.
During the operation, authorities recovered 10 ball mill drums and 16 sacks of unfinished milled ore believed to be connected to the illegal mining activity.
The recovered unfinished milled ore and other materials were estimated to have a total value of ₱280,000.
Ball mills are commonly used in mineral processing to grind ore into finer particles for further extraction or processing. Their presence at the site, together with the sacks of unfinished milled ore, formed part of the materials documented by authorities during the enforcement operation.
The suspect was taken to the Opol MPS for documentation and further investigation. Authorities are expected to file the appropriate charges in connection with the alleged violation of environmental and mining regulations.
Meanwhile, the recovered equipment will be turned over to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 10 (MGB-10) for proper disposition and appropriate action.
The operation underscores the continued enforcement efforts of government agencies against unauthorized mining activities, particularly those conducted despite existing orders to stop operations.
Authorities have continued to intensify joint operations aimed at curbing illegal mining and protecting natural resources, with law enforcement and environmental agencies working together to identify and shut down unauthorized extraction and processing activities.
The case remains subject to further investigation, and the arrested individual will face the appropriate legal proceedings based on the evidence gathered during the operation.