A total of 19 people were arrested for their involvement in  the rampant poaching of a valuable fruit in a city in Qinghai Province.

Reports said over 5,000 people have been stealing wild black medlar, an expensive plant dubbed as "soft gold," which is damaging the environment.

Black medlar poaching has led to beatings and looting in Golmud, Qinghai Province, the Beijing Times reported.

The exploitation has led to soil erosion, leaving hundreds of sandpits in the Golmud grassland.

The price of black medlar has witnessed an eightfold increase from 140 yuan per kilogram four years ago to nearly 500 yuan now.

Wild black medlar grown in Golmud can fetch as much as 200 yuan ($31) per kilogram. The steep prices have tempted many poachers to dig the fenced-off plantations excessively with homemade tools. Some poachers stab guards and set their tents on fire, while others clash with the local police, the Beijing Times added.

Black medlar poaching started when the fruit's medicinal value was discovered. The wild black medlar harvest begins this month, which has raised concerns over illegal trading and poaching.

"The poachers are organized," a contractor surnamed Li told the Global Times. "They know where to find the fruit and pass on the information to others. We're totally outnumbered and feel helpless."

"Several mobs have attacked our plantations this month," a plantation manager in Golmud surnamed Chai told the Global Times. "They beat our guards and throw our motorcycles into the canal. This is utterly unacceptable."

Golmud officials announced on Wednesday that the illegal poaching of black medlar would not be tolerated. A total of seven people were arrested for allegedly engaging in violence, while another 12 were detained for the illegal possession of knives.

"The police are patrolling our property. We feel much safer now," Chai told the Global Times. "But I think laws are inadequate, and it is difficult to stop the poaching of black medlar," he said.

This is not the first time that black medlar poaching has reached the public's attention.

An officer from the Golmud government told the Global Times that it has taken measures to address the problem. "Some netizens posted articles on popular Web forums such as Tianya BBS, exposing incidents of poaching in 2012, but those articles failed to resonate," Chai said.