Two Chinese nationals and 22 Filipinos were arrested while alleged mineral ores and mining equipment worth nearly P31 million were seized after authorities dismantled an alleged illegal mining operation in Opol, Misamis Oriental on Sunday, January 25, 2026.

Personnel of the 2nd Misamis Oriental Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and other police units launched the operation after receiving information from a concerned citizen about the mining operation in Sitio Bugwak, Barangay Tingalan.

The operating team reportedly caught the suspects in the act of extracting freshly mined mineral resources using heavy equipment without the required permits.

Authorities said the foreigners were identified as supervisors/caretakers of the mining site while the Filipinos peformed various roles, including backhoe and trommel operators, welders, maintenance personnel, and laborers.

Seized from the mining site were pieces of materials and heavy equipment, at least 30 sacks of alleged mineral ores with a total estimated market value of P30.8 million.

The items confiscated will be turned over to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Northern Mindanao (MGB-10).

PAOCC Executive Director, Undersecretary Benjamin Acorda, Jr., reiterated the Commission's steadfast commitment to combating organized crimes, particularly forms of economic sabotage.

"This very particular crime undermines the Philippine economy, bypassing the formal institution, specifically Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and deliberately diverting our national wealth. From 2012 to 2018, only 1.2% of gold produced by small-scale mining was sold to the BSP, an alarming indication that our economic power to capture lawful revenues is being compromised by illegal mining activities,” Accorda said.

“Strengthening our enforcement mechanisms and fostering collaboration among various agencies will be crucial in combating economic sabotage and other organized crimes but also to all forms of environmental crimes,” he added.