Six men arrested for stealing silver-laced soil from Hindustan Photo Films factory in Nilgiris
Six individuals were arrested in the Nilgiris district for trespassing into a defunct photographic film factory to steal soil contaminated with silver nitrate. The factory, once a major industrial site, has been a target for illegal scavenging since it ceased operations in 2018.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the environmental and security challenges posed by abandoned industrial sites and the illicit trade of precious metal-laced waste.
The Nilgiris district police arrested six persons including the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) branch secretary from Ward Number 2 in Udhagamandalam for trespassing into the defunct Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) factory premises and illegally transporting more than three tonnes of soil, believed to be laced with silver nitrate accrued when the plant was functional.
The report is a straightforward factual account of a police arrest and the history of the factory site.
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