A significant illegal rare earth mining case has been concluded in Hunan province, with nine defendants pleading guilty in court. The case, known as "7.19", involved a large-scale illegal mining operation spanning Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangdong provinces. It was successfully cracked by the Rucheng County Public Security Bureau after several months of investigation, leading to the arrest of 12 suspects and the recovery of over 2.2 million yuan in ecological damages for the state.
In July 2025, authorities received a tip about illegal rare earth mining in a mountainous area of Daping Town. A joint inspection by the Rucheng County Forest Public Security Bureau and the Natural Resources Bureau revealed severe environmental damage at the site. The vegetation was destroyed, exposed soil was covered with anti-seepage film, and the hillside was riddled with trenches and injection holes. Plastic pipes were used to channel leachate from the mountaintop into sedimentation ponds, confirming it as an active in-situ leaching operation for rare earth extraction.
The Rucheng County Public Security Bureau leadership prioritized the case, immediately forming a special task force with elite personnel. Departments including criminal investigation, cyber security, and natural resources intensified their analysis. Despite the challenging, densely forested, and complex terrain of the crime scene, investigators quickly identified the primary suspects: Li Moucai, Ning Mouqing, Ning Mouping, and Ning Mouming. With assistance from police in Renhua County, Guangdong, the task force apprehended all four individuals within 24 hours of the discovery.
The investigation revealed that from June 2024 to July 2025, the four main suspects conspired to illegally mine rare earths in the mountainous border area between Hunan and Guangdong for profit. Without any mining permits, they hired individuals with prior illegal mining experience from Dingnan, Jiangxi—Ren Mouzhu, Zhang Mouhua, Wei Mouqiao, and Xie Moujin—to provide technical support and transport supplies. The gang demonstrated strong counter-surveillance awareness, setting up lookouts at mountain passes equipped with walkie-talkies to sound alarms. Zhong Mouping, Ouyang Mouping, and Zhang Mou knowingly purchased the stolen rare earth ore on multiple occasions, making illegal profits exceeding 1 million yuan.
After the initial arrests, the task force focused on expanding the investigation. Upon identifying additional suspects involved in illegal mining and concealing criminal proceeds, officers, overcoming fatigue and the challenges of long-distance travel, executed a cross-province operation in a single day. They traveled to Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian provinces to apprehend suspects Zhong Mouping, Ren Mouzhu, Zhang Mouhua, Wei Mouqiao, and Xie Moujin.
In September 2025, police learned of the tradition in Dingnan, Jiangxi, where people return home for the Zhongyuan Festival. Seizing this opportunity, the task force deployed officers to stake out the home of suspect Ouyang Mouping. After three days and nights of continuous surveillance, they successfully captured Ouyang upon his return home on the festival day, seizing 1.8 tonnes of rare earth ore from his vehicle.
After months of relentless effort, all 12 suspects were apprehended. Authorities seized 5.27 tonnes of raw rare earth ore, 1.8 tonnes of concentrate, and a large quantity of tools used in the crime. The investigation confirmed the gang had illegally mined over 50 tonnes of rare earth ore, selling 45 tonnes, with the total value of the case amounting to approximately 1.6 million yuan.
All 12 criminal suspects in the case have been arrested. Nine defendants pleaded guilty and expressed remorse in court. Individuals who provided technical support, transportation, or acted as lookouts were treated as accomplices. The procuratorate decided not to prosecute three suspects. The case achieved a precise crackdown on the entire chain of illegal mining, transportation, purchase, and sales. It recovered over 2 million yuan in direct economic losses for the state. Through public interest litigation, the court held the violators financially responsible for the ecological damage, and the damaged environment is now undergoing legal restoration.
Legal Provisions
Illegal Mining Crime: According to Article 343 of China's Criminal Law, illegally mining without a permit, mining in state-planned mining areas, or mining protected mineral species without authorization, if the circumstances are serious, is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, detention, or control, and/or a fine. If circumstances are especially serious, the punishment is between three and seven years imprisonment and a fine.
Crime of Concealing Criminal Proceeds: According to Article 312, knowingly concealing, transferring, purchasing, or selling criminal proceeds is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, detention, or control, and/or a fine. If circumstances are serious, the punishment is between three and seven years imprisonment and a fine.
Joint Crime: According to Article 25, a joint crime is an intentional crime committed by two or more persons jointly. Individuals who provide technical support, material transportation, or act as lookouts for illegal mining also constitute joint crime and bear criminal responsibility according to law.
Police remind the public that mineral resources are state-owned. Any form of illegal mining or theft is strictly prohibited. Rucheng police will maintain a high-pressure crackdown on illegal mining and ecological destruction, acting swiftly and severely to protect the local environment and safeguard the security of the nation's strategic mineral resources. The public is encouraged to report any illegal mining, transportation, or trading of stolen mineral products to help protect national resources and ecological safety.