On November 7th, 22 DE the Congress of Deseret categorized Desereti Ocean Marble as a National Heritage Material. As such the Federal Government can choose who to sell to, in what quantities, and at what price. A small minority of citizens on Deseret, especially in Ocean Forest, felt that this was overreach of the role the already strong Federal Government was supposed to have. Others felt that a Federal Monopoly would lead to abuse over who would be allowed access to Desereti Ocean Marble. Over the years this has led to different groups finding ways to illegally mine and steal the marble.
Federal Control and Monitoring
It did not take long for the Federal Government to realize that security would be needed to protect its new monopoly. When a new deposit of Desereti Ocean Marble is found the area around it is turned into a Federal Resource Zone (FRZ). AI guard posts are set up around the FRZ, with patrols of AI drones looking for signs of trespassers. However, crime is low on Deseret which leads to these defensive measures usually being both meager and antiquated. For illegal miners who are smart and patient there is little risk of capture.
Building Wealth
Almost all forms of wealth are measured by the Deseret Revenue Service (DRS), part of the different processes on Deseret that aim to limit wealth disparity. Some individuals came to despise these safeguards, considering them as barriers to their natural talents. Since sales of art pieces are not typically monitored by the DRS they have become a popular choice for laundering dirty money. Some communities, such as the fundamentalist Wheat of the Lord, use illegal mining and refining as ways to accumulate vast galleries of Desereti Ocean Marble. These galleries are valued as wealth that can be passed down without being taxed, able to be sold for hard cash if the need arises.
Incidents
Most illegal mining is done in small amounts that are easier to hide. However sometimes a group will decide to attempt larger operations, with typically negative results. On July 28th, 157 DE a small group of illegal miners stumbled across federal employee Joshua O'Brien performing a routine inspection of a FRZ near Rivendell. In a panic the miners severely beat the O'Brien and ran, leaving him to die. No suspects were ever arrested, causing outrage across Deseret. In retaliation the DRS cooperated with police forces planet wide to locate and seize illegal caches of Desereti Ocean Marble.
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