The origin of gold has long puzzled scientists around the globe. (Photo : Reuters)
Chinese officials may have banned gold mining activities in Beijing, the country’s capital, but illegal undertakings are still proliferating in the city’s underground business, journal Want China Times reported.
The individuals involved in the illegal activities even earn as much as 10,000 yuan, the report added.
In eastern Beijing's Pinggu District, its rural mountainous area is believed to be containing gold mines. The extraction of the precious resource has been the region's major activity since the Japanese troops have discovered the ore during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Until 2003, the gold mining activity in the area was allowed by the government before imposing a ban and blowing up pits with dynamites. In spite of this move, some residents have found their way to continue their business.
According to the report, a ton of ore can produce three up to ten grams of pure gold when refined. An ore can also be sold at 10 percent off the market gold price.
Through the Beijing News' investigative reporters, who disguised as gold buyers, it was revealed that 80 percent of the gold mining activities is controlled by a certain "Dapi."
Asked about the issue, Dapi admitted that the mining endeavors he runs are illegal, stating that "I do it because I can."
Among the locals, the concern over gold mining is not an unusual news, as everyone knows that when trucks come and go, their goal is to load the ore.
"It's only the officials and the mine-reservation personnel that are unaware of it," the report suggests, noting Dapi's role in taking care of the knots.
