In December 2023, a major crackdown in the mountainous forests of Phan Son Commune, Binh Thuan Province, led to the arrest of 28 individuals engaged in large-scale illegal gold mining. Conducted by a force of 150 police officers and soldiers, the operation uncovered a sprawling site equipped with heavy machinery – including excavators, pumps, crushers, and pickup trucks – alongside chemical agents used in ore processing. The miners had built shelters and stockpiled supplies, allowing for extended occupation of the site deep in the forest, nearly 10 kilometres from the nearest road, indicating that the group had been working and living in the forest for an extended period. Several gold-coloured metal samples and a significant quantity of chemicals used for ore processing were confiscated.