In March 2025, Cambodian authorities in the Ratanakiri province uncovered and shut down illegal gold mining operations in the Ta Veng District, arresting 26 Vietnamese nationals who were subsequently deported through the O'Yadav international border without facing legal prosecution. The mining operations, which took place within Virachey National Park (a protected area bordering Vietnam and Laos), involved heavy machinery including excavators that were confiscated during the raid. While provincial Mine and Energy Department director Ung Hou claimed the sites were "licensed" but not following proper procedures, other officials revealed the miners had entered Cambodia legally with passports but were working for a company that had obtained land concessions for rubber plantations before illicitly converting operations to gold mining without proper exploration permits. Environmental advocates expressed concern about the scale of these operations and the likely use of cyanide for gold extraction, which poses severe risks to waterways, biodiversity, and human health in the region. Despite laws stipulating fines of 1-10 million riel and imprisonment of 1-5 years for illegal mining in protected areas, the case was handed to immigration authorities rather than processed through the court system, highlighting enforcement inconsistencies in Cambodia's mineral resource management.