Alluvial mining in the Autonomous region of Bougainville is now at its real peak with people taking it as a compulsory exercise and millions worth of gold being taken out.
A lot of con activities are also happening in and around Bougainville spoiling the good name of honest alluvial miners.
In a recent incident, a highlander was conned into buying iron oxide instead of gold and a hundred thousand of his money gone wasted.
When he went into testing in Moresby, it was confirmed that what he bought wasn’t gold at all.
An alluvial gold miner who wishes to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue said a lot of these type of people are spoiling the good name of honest dealers and miners.
“We will surely loose business and buyers will fear buying gold from us because they will think we will trick them like what some people are doing right now,” he said.