What is the crime of stealing soil and digging sand?

The first paragraph of article 343rd of the Criminal Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) stipulates

Whoever, in violation of the provisions of the Mineral Resources Law, mines without a mining license, enters the state-planned mining areas, mining areas of great value to the national economy and other people's mining areas without authorization, or mines specific minerals that are subject to protective mining as stipulated by the state, if the circumstances are serious, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention or control, and shall also or shall only be fined; If the circumstances are especially serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than seven years and shall also be fined.

Whoever, in violation of the provisions of the Mineral Resources Law, exploits mineral resources by destructive mining methods, thus causing serious damage to mineral resources, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention and shall also be fined.

In any of the following circumstances, it belongs to "mining without a mining license":

1, mining mineral resources without mining license;

2, the mining license is cancelled, revoked to continue mining mineral resources;

3. Mining mineral resources beyond the mining area specified in the mining license;

4. Mining mineral resources without minerals specified in the mining license (except raw ore and associated ore);

5. Other circumstances of mining mineral resources without obtaining a mining license.

6. Mining without authorization during the period of withholding the mining license according to law belongs to "mining without a mining license" as stipulated in this article.

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia, Crime of illegal mining.