COIMBATORE: Five persons were arrested on Monday (September 7) for trespassing and stealing soil from the now-defunct Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) to extract precious metals.
Five persons, identified as Suresh (46), Manivannan (34), Satheesh (32), Vinod Kumar (22) and another Satheesh (36), all hailing from different parts of the Nilgiris, were arrested by the Pudumund Station Police for stealing seven sacks of soil from the HPF premises.
They had concealed the sacks in a nearby forest area.
When the accused persons attempted to smuggle them to Coimbatore for sale, the police nabbed them. Police seized the soil as well as the vehicle used to transport it.
It is believed that the soil in certain areas of the factory contains traces of silver.
The HPF was closed in 2018, and machinery was removed from the premises, which is now under the control of the forest department.