With gold prices crossing Rs 1 lakh a sovereign in Kerala, a quiet forest stretch in Malappuram district has thrown up an unusual story. Forest officials in Nilambur have uncovered what they say is the first reported case of large-scale illegal gold extraction from river sand in the region.

Seven people were arrested for illegally extracting gold by filtering sand from the Chaliyar river inside a forest area in Nilambur. The action followed a tip-off received by the Thiruvananthapuram forest intelligence wing and the Nilambur North Divisional Forest Officer.

The operation was carried out in the Panayankode section of the Nilambur range, after officials kept the area under surveillance for several days.

How the gold was extracted

Forest officials found the group using a motor pump set to suck sand from a stretch of the Chaliyar river flowing through the forest. The sand was then filtered and processed on the spot to extract gold in large quantities.

Those arrested were identified as Shameem (43), T C Sundaran (40), Abdul Razak (56), Zakir (53), Ashraf (53), Alavikutty (62) and Jabir (42), all residents of the Mampad area. The accused were later released on bail.

Gold traces known, scale is new

Officials said intelligence inputs had suggested that illegal gold mining was being carried out extensively in the area. This led to sustained monitoring before the enforcement team moved in.
According to forest officials, certain stretches of the Chaliyar river contain traces of gold in the sand. However, they said large-scale sand pumping and gold extraction of this nature has been reported for the first time in the region.

The forest department has announced that it will step up action to curb gold extraction activities in forest areas of Nilambur. Officials said inspections will be intensified and night patrols introduced to prevent similar incidents.

The use of motor pumps and heavy equipment for extraction is being viewed seriously. Authorities are also probing whether organised groups or powerful interests are behind the activity.

Rising gold prices seen as trigger

Officials have linked the spike in illegal sand pumping to the surge in gold prices, which recently crossed Rs 1 lakh per sovereign in Kerala. With forest enforcement tightening, revenue authorities may also be required to strengthen inspections in the area to curb the practice.