Brazilian police seize assets from illegal Amazon gold mining

The police operation comes as President Lula da Silva promises to crack down on illegal commercial activity in the Amazon.



Brazilian police say criminal organisations used a US-based entity to export gold illegally extracted from the Amazon [File: Edmar Barros/AP Photo]

Published On 15 Feb 2023
15 Feb 2023

Brazil’s federal police have seized assets related to illegal mining operations in the Amazon rainforest, as the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva cracks down on unsanctioned commercial activity that threatens the forest and the people who inhabit it.

In a press release on Wednesday, the federal police said they had seized more than 2 billion reais ($383m) garnered from the sale of about 13 tonnes of gold, which had been illegally extracted from the rainforest and exported through an unnamed US-based entity.

The police also said they were carrying out 27 search and seizure warrants and three arrest warrants to disrupt the gold-smuggling operation.

“More than 100 federal police officers are participating in Operation Sisaque, in addition to five tax auditors and three Federal Revenue analysts,” the release said. “The objectives are to expand the volume of evidence to dismantle the criminal scheme and combat clandestine mining, especially in the Itaituba region.”

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/15/brazilian-police-seize-assets-from-illegal-amazon-gold-mining