KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 -- Illegal gold miners are reportedly targeting remote forest reserves in Malaysia's east coast, using cover activities like agriculture and other mineral extraction to avoid detection.

Sinar Harian today reported Forestry Department Director-General Zahari Ibrahim as saying that these syndicates often conduct reconnaissance to identify gold-rich spots before bringing in heavy machinery and mining equipment.

"Once an area is identified, the syndicates bring in machinery including backhoes, excavators, four-wheel-drive vehicles, as well as equipment such as sluice boxes, water pumps and generators," he was quoted as saying.

"These operations are also carried out with the involvement of foreign workers".

The syndic...