14 Arrested for Stealing Gold-Bearing Soil from KGF Mine Shaft 25 Years After Shutdown

• 14 individuals arrested for stealing gold ore-bearing soil from the abandoned Gilbert Shaft area of Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) in KGF.
• Arrests followed two incidents reported on February 6 and February 10, 2026, where 12 sacks of gold-bearing soil were removed.
• Police recovered all 12 sacks; a case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Karnataka Mines and Minerals Act.
• Despite commercial gold extraction ending decades ago, residual traces of gold remain, leading to increased vigilance due to rising gold prices.
• This incident follows a series of gold-linked crimes in KGF, including the April 2025 arrest of a Congress municipal councilor for intercepting 3.5 kg of gold biscuits.