Gold search: 16 held for mud theft at KGF

KGF: More than 25 years after Bharat Gold Mines Limited shut down, illegal gold scavenging continues in Kolar Gold Fields. In two recent crackdowns, Oorgaum police arrested 16 people—many of them women—for entering restricted mining areas and stealing gold ore-mixed mud to extract small amounts of gold.The first incident occurred on Feb 6, when security staffer Thygavelu noticed eight men inside the Griffort's shaft area. The group had allegedly cut through the protective fencing and was busy filling gunny bags with mud believed to contain traces of gold. Alerted by the guard, police rushed to the spot and arrested the accused. Four days later, on Feb 10, security guard Shankar spotted another gang of eight attempting a similar heist. They too were caught and taken to Oorgaum police station.
Police say the temptation is simple: even a few flecks of gold hidden in ore-mixed soil can fetch quick money. And so, under the cover of darkness, trespassers stealthily cut through fences and scoop up sacks of mud, hoping to chemically process it and extract traces of the precious metal.The accused reportedly admitted that they extracted minute particles of gold and sold them to local jewellers. Police circle inspector Markondayya said during the peak of mining operations, one tonne of ore could yield three to four grams of gold. "Even today, people believe that small amounts of ore remain in discarded heaps and the same can be recovered through chemical extraction," he said.Advocate Velayudham of Robertsonpet said locals have long collected residual mud from drains near jewellery shops, hoping to recover milligrams of gold dust left behind during polishing and washing. With soaring gold prices, the temptation to extract even a gram has driven many to risk arrest. Police said most of the accused are habitual offenders who repeatedly trespass despite warnings. The town's landscape, dotted with massive cyanide dump heaps, often fuels the illusion that gold still lies hidden beneath the soil. In fact, many of them have even lost their lives navigating the discarded mines. In May 2020, three men died of asphyxiation after entering a sealed mine shaft in search of scrap iron and leftover materials.