Butuan City, April 11 -- Nine Chinese nationals and a Filipino involved in illegal mining activities were arrested during an intelligence-driven operation conducted in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur on Thursday evening.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 (Caraga) reported that the Chinese nationals, arrested in Carac-an Downstream in Barangay Lobo, are now under the custody of the Cantilan Municipal Police. The arrested suspects were not named in the statement.

The operatives also seized heavy equipment and mining paraphernalia, which include multiple excavators, pay loaders, dump trucks, generator sets, sluice boxes, water pumps, bunkhouses, and other support equipment used in the illegal extraction o...