November 3, 2025, 10:48 p.mNovember 3, 2025, 10:48 p.m
Illegal gold mining is one of the biggest environmental problems in the Amazon region.Image: keystone
With a large-scale operation, Brazil’s federal police, together with Interpol, launched a strike against illegal gold mining in the Amazon region. Along the Madeira River, one of the Amazon’s most important tributaries, 277 excavators with a total estimated value of around $7 million were destroyed, Interpol said.
More than 100 officers were involved in the operation, supported by Interpol and security forces from Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana, Peru and Suriname. The economic damage to the criminal organizations involved was estimated at around $193 million – including lost profits and environmental damage.
The operation was the first coordinated operation of the newly founded Amazon International Police Cooperation Center (CCPI Amazônia). The Brazil-based center aims to pool investigations and information between Amazon states to more effectively combat cross-border environmental crime.
“This operation marks a new chapter in our joint effort to protect the Amazon,” said Brazilian Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza.
Illegal gold mining is one of the biggest environmental problems in the Amazon region. It leads to massive deforestation, river pollution and mercury poisoning of local populations. According to environmental organizations, thousands of such illegal mines are active in Brazil alone. (sda/awp)