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200 Arrested in Amazon's Illegal Gold Mining Crackdown
22 Jan
Summary
- Nearly 200 arrested in joint operation across four countries.
- Seized items include cash, gold, mercury, and firearms.
- Illegal mining drives deforestation and river pollution.
A sweeping cross-border operation involving police and prosecutors from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname has resulted in the arrest of nearly 200 people. This joint effort, supported by Interpol and environmental crime specialists, targeted illegal gold mining activities within the Amazon region.
During the extensive checks across remote border areas, authorities confiscated substantial quantities of cash, unprocessed gold, mercury, and firearms. The operation also uncovered mining equipment, drugs, and counterfeit goods, underscoring the diverse criminal enterprises linked to illegal mining.
Illegal gold mining remains a critical issue in the Amazon, exacerbating deforestation and polluting vital waterways with toxic mercury. The expansion of this activity, driven by high global gold prices, pushes miners into remote forest areas and fuels organized crime operating internationally.
