Police say hundreds of treasure seekers armed with crowbars and spades were moving across to 625 sq miles of thick forest in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states seeking bandit Veerappan's "vast riches", which he is believed to have hidden in remote caves, underground pits and in trees.
The fiercely moustachioed bandit, who murdered over 120 people, kidnapped a film star and cut down large tracts of precious sandalwood, had amassed a massive fortune in nearly 30 years of banditry. He was shot dead aged 60 in 2004.
"Groups of locals regularly venture into the jungle looking for Veerappan's money," one of the district administrators in Karnataka said.
"We have warned them against doing this and turned them back but they ignore us and return to resume their search"
According to local folklore Veerappan, who had a £250,000 bounty on his head, is reported have buried plastic bangs packed with cash alongside sacks full of ivory from the more than 2000 elephants he poached.
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