Inner Mongolia launches special operation against illegal mining

Effective immediately through December 31, 2026, the Department of Natural Resources of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, together with the Public Security Department, Water Resources Department, Forestry and Grassland Bureau, and Mine Safety Supervision Bureau, have jointly launched a special operation to crack down on illegal mineral extraction across the region. The initiative aims to safeguard mineral resource security, public safety, and production safety.

The operation will target a range of violations, including unlicensed exploration and mining, boundary transgressions, mining under the guise of exploration, and extraction of minerals not specified in mining permits. A key focus is the illegal extraction of strategic minerals such as rare earths, gold, germanium, antimony, molybdenum, and indium.

The crackdown also covers unauthorized mining under the pretext of ecological restoration, geological disaster control, or slope stabilization projects. Additionally, authorities will target the unauthorized reopening of closed or abandoned mine shafts and tunnels, as well as mining activities concealed under the cover of construction projects.