Experts: Illegal Mining Persists Despite Reported Declines

The government says illegal mining is going down, but experts are worried that it might not be the whole truth.

They think the lower numbers of reported cases could be due to less reporting or less strict enforcement.

Even though fewer cases are being recorded, people on the ground, like villagers, say the mining is still happening.

The number of machines seized has gone down, but a lot were seized recently, suggesting ongoing activity.

Arrests have also decreased, but continue.

Financial penalties for illegal mining have also dropped.

Experts and locals are concerned that the real problem is bigger than what the official numbers show.