Recently, police in Shiqu County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, received a tip-off from local residents reporting illegal sand mining and gold panning activities in a nature reserve. Upon receiving the report, the local government attached great importance to the case and promptly organized a joint task force to rush to the site for handling. Investigations revealed that the case involved a gang led by Yang who had contacted a local villager from Xiayi Township of Shiqu to act as a guide. The group transported a large quantity of tools and equipment and conducted illegal sand mining and gold panning in the Sichuan Changsha-Gongma National Nature Reserve in Xiayi Township, Shiqu County. Following on-site identification and evidence collection, the relevant authorities in Shiqu County placed the gang led by Yang under criminal detention in accordance with the law.

Illegal sand mining and gold panning constitute a serious violation of laws and regulations. It not only causes severe damage to the ecological environment but also poses a significant risk of triggering geological hazards. It is learned that the public security authorities of Shiqu County are handling the case in accordance with the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Nature Reserves and the Wetland Conservation Law of the People's Republic of China.