deceiving

"They're ideal for deceiving the enemy and making them waste expensive resources on nothing. They work, we need more of them," he says.

But appearances can be deceiving: in fact, this pit is home to a million tonne stockpile containing critical minerals, and Australia's bet on the future.

Under pressure, they are coerced into recruiting others, deceiving even their own families and friends, Ms Donkor said.

Federal authorities are increasingly hiding their identities, refusing to answer basic questions about their affiliations and deceiving the public to make arrests.

"I feel guilty deceiving others," he says, clearly uncomfortable with being portrayed as someone he can't match in reality.