The illegal miners are said to be extracting about 23 kilograms of gold each month, worth nearly $1.5 million, while contaminating the river with mercury.
The mining activities are carried out by a transnational criminal group called “Familia del Norte”.
Authorities say 114,000 grams of mercury are released each month and 68 million liters of water are contaminated.
The bilateral operation was backed by the United States and targeted the organization’s infrastructure.
Reuters quoted a Colombian Armed Forces press release saying the operation “has become a source of funds for weapons and explosives as well as the acquisition of chemical raw materials for the criminal organization known as the Families Norte.”
Brazil and Colombia are considered the most biodiverse countries and are covered by the Amazon rainforest. Rainforests absorb large amounts of greenhouse gases and play a key role in mitigating climate change.
Colombian forces destroyed 12 friendly ships on the Pure and Purete rivers. The vessels are three stories high and contain cabins, sediment storage and accommodation facilities.
More News
- Sibanye-Stillwater accelerates decarbonization with two more renewable energy projects
- Std 2.0 and Exploration, Development & Processing – IRMA
- Woodcross Resources uses Minespider platform to track all tin from operations in Uganda
- Mainstream Renewable Power reaches financial close on 97.5 MW solar PV farm with corporate PPAs in South Africa
Brazilian authorities subsequently destroyed the remaining seven ships.
The news agency also quoted Colombia’s national police chief William Rene Salamanca as saying: “We are witnessing a historic, binational campaign against illegal mineral extraction aimed at protecting the world’s lungs.”
Earlier this year, The Guardian reported that Brazil’s health ministry said nearly 80 babies died per 1,000 live births in the Yanomami health region.
Data also show that child mortality has increased by 16% since last year, which is seven times the national average.
The indigenous Yanomami tribe has experienced an increase in infant mortality due to legal and illegal mining.
This is mainly due to increased mercury pollution and rising cases of malaria. Some 4,687 people were affected by malaria in 2022, the highest number in a decade.
Additionally, some miners use mercury to separate gold from the ground, resulting in mercury contamination that is reported to be 8,600% higher than safe levels.
