Over 9,600 busted for illegal mining since 2021: police

BEIJING -- More than 9,600 suspects have been caught in more than 5,200 cases of illegal or destructive mining since 2021, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The ministry also disclosed 10 typical cases in the fields, including the illegal mining of coal, sand and rare earth.

Police will closely cooperate with other departments and continue to intensify the crackdown on such offenses, so as to resolutely safeguard the security of mineral resources and the ecological environment, according to the ministry.