KOTA BARU: The authorities on Monday arrested 29 illegal immigrants and nine locals for conducting rare earth elements (REE) mining activities in a permanent forest reserve in Gua Musang.

Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzil Hassan said the 38 individuals were nabbed in an integrated operation codenamed Op Khazanah.

He said the operation involved federal police and several government agencies such as the Land and Mines Department and the Minerals and Geoscience Department.

"On behalf of the state goverment, l would like to thank the federal police for their success in detecting the illegal mining activity at the Lebir permanent forest reserve in Gua Musang on Dec 9.

"This was a commendable and good move done by the police and other agencies as it will help to protect the people's treasures," he said after the state executive council meeting here today.

Fadzil said several heavy machineries and other equipments for the REE mining activities were also seized in the operation.

He said the 29 illegal immigrants from various countries were arrested for entering Malaysia without valid travel documents.

Asked whether the state government believe there might be other locations that might attract people to explore REE, he did not rule out the possibility.

"Kelantan has many areas in Gua Musang and Jeli districts that have potential for REE and the state has the second largest amount of such deposits after Terengganu.

"So the possibility of the state attracting such illegal activities is higher.

"To stop these illegal mining activities, the relevant state agencies have been told to step up their operations and surveillance," he said.

Fadzil said the state government was in the midst of issuing REE mining licences to several companies.