COIMBATORE: Five persons were arrested on Tuesday for illegally entering the defunct Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) premises in search of precious metals.

The soil in certain areas of the factory is believed to have traces of gold and silver. Based on a tip-off, the Pudumund police arrested Rajan (48), Subash (43), Kumar (52), Santhosh (31) and Mohanraj (37), all hailing from Thalaikundha in Ooty.

The police discovered several pits dug out to remove soil. A total of 18 persons have been arrested so far on charges of trespass and theft.

The factory premises are now under the control of the forest department, and the machinery was vacated after the closure in 2018.