Bangka Belitung Islands
World's second-largest tin producer (23.5% of global output); Oct 2025 crackdown seized illegal mines worth $362-422M—80% of output was informal.
Tin mining on Bangka may date to the 7th century; by the 18th century, Chinese migrants worked Dutch-controlled deposits under a 1722 treaty with the Palembang Sultanate. Today these two islands off eastern Sumatra produce 23.5% of global tin output—nearly one-fifth of worldwide supply—making Indonesia the world's second-largest producer. Mining concessions cover over 1 million hectares, one-eighth of the province's land and sea area.
President Prabowo Subianto's October 2025 crackdown marked a turning point. Announcing the closure of 1,000 illegal mines, the government seized six smelters, 680 metric tonnes of refined tin, and 108 units of heavy equipment worth USD 362-422 million. Illegal operations may represent 80% of output; PT Timah, the state miner, reported a 32% drop in ore production in 2025's first half as shadow production crowded out legal extraction. Tin prices surged past $37,500/tonne as supply tightened.
The environmental toll is documented: 240,000 hectares of mangrove forest damaged, 5,000 hectares of coral reef destroyed. Between 2019 and 2023, 81 miners died in accidents; 13 children drowned in abandoned mining pits. By 2026, whether the crackdown consolidates state control or simply shifts illegal activity determines both global tin supply chains and the province's ecological future.