The Selangor government today revealed 25 locations throughout the state where they have discovered illegal sand mining activities.

Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said the illegal mining activities have been going on since 2008, though he claimed the perpetrators have been at it for “quite long”.

He said the activities were found in seven of the 10 districts under Selangor, including Gombak, Hulu Langat, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Langat, Kuala Selangor, Petaling and Sepang.

azlan Khalid said the state estimates the illegal operations at all 25 locations churn out a combined output of some 1,056,000 tonnes, which equates to RM1,921,920 in potential royalties lost by the state.

Kuala Langat has been identified as the area with the most active illegal sand miners, with six locations on private and government land taking out a total of 325,000 tonnes a month.

Illegal sand miners are also quite active in Sepang, with their activities discovered on four plots of private land and one dredging operation in Sg Labu, together putting out a combined 292,000 tonnes a month.

The output from Hulu Langat is estimated at 135,000 tonnes from four locations, followed by Kuala Selangor (130,000 tonnes, two locations), Gombak (75,000 tonnes, three locations), Hulu Selangor (52,000 tonnes, three locations) and Petaling (47,000 tonnes, three locations).

“The point of this (announcement) is so that the public knows where illegal sand mining happens,” Khalid said at a press conference in the state assembly.

Yesterday, the Menteri Besar told the House that the state government has been actively monitoring the illegal sand mining problem and has taken several steps to tackle the situation including seizing privately-owned land where the illegal activity is discovered.