Nearly 200 arrested in cross-border crackdown on gold mining in Amazon | Americas
Police and prosecutors from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname arrested nearly 200 people in the first joint cross-border operation targeting illegal gold mining in the Amazon region, authorities said.
The operation was supported by Interpol, the EU and Dutch police specializing in environmental crimes. Interpol said the operation carried out more than 24,500 checks on vehicles and people in remote border areas and seized cash, unprocessed gold, mercury, firearms, drugs and mining equipment.
Among those arrested were three people detained on suspicion of gold smuggling and money laundering after officers in Guyana seized unwrought gold and nearly $590,000 (£440,000) in cash. Investigators said the suspects are believed to be part of an organized crime syndicate and may have links to a major gold export company in Guyana.
Illegal gold mining has become a major cause of deforestation and river pollution in the Amazon; polluting waterways with toxic mercury and damaging lands that Indigenous communities rely on. This activity has expanded rapidly in recent years, with global gold prices reaching near-record levels, pushing miners deeper into remote jungle regions and making gold one of the most profitable commodities for organized crime operating across borders.
Interpol secretary general Valdecy Urquiza said in a statement: “Illegal gold mining is rapidly increasing and causing serious damage to the environment and local communities, especially in remote and sensitive areas.”
Authorities seized mercury tubes worth more than $60,000 in Guyana and Suriname. Mercury is widely used to separate gold from other materials in illegal gold mining, but it is highly toxic and can contaminate rivers, wildlife and people. Interpol said the mercury was stored inside solar panels and transported by bus.
South American police carried out coordinated checks along common borders, including checks on both sides of the rivers separating the countries. Officers searched vehicles, boats and small riverside shops selling fuel, tools and other materials commonly used in illegal mining. Some shops are suspected of helping smuggle gold and mercury across the border.
During the operation, the police seized counterfeit medicine, alcohol and cigarettes worth more than 40 thousand dollars, as well as mining pumps, mats used to collect gold, firearms and mobile phones.
Police officers stopped a bus carrying undocumented immigrants, including several children, authorities said. Some of the children are suspected of being victims of forced labor or sexual exploitation, underscoring the human impact of illegal mining networks.
Interpol said the operation, known as Operation Guyana Shield, was a significant step forward in cooperation between countries in the Amazon region, where dense rainforests, long distances and porous borders have long made controlling illegal mining difficult.
