Four men are accused of illegal mining in a conservation unit in the interior of AM

Illegal mining area in the interior of Amazonas Disclosure The Federal Court in Amazonas made defendants four men accused of maintaining an illegal mining of cassiterite within the Mapinguari National Park, in Lábrea, in the interior of the state. The complaint, presented by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), was accepted by the Court, and those investigated will answer for the crimes of usurpation of Union assets, illegal extraction of mineral resources and direct damage to the conservation unit. According to the Federal Public Ministry, mining had been operating in the area since before 2007 and remained active until July 26, 2023, when it was the target of "Operation Opportunity V", carried out by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). ? Illegal mining is the extraction of minerals without authorization from the State, carried out in prohibited areas. The activity occurs mainly in the Amazon, within indigenous lands and conservation units. It causes environmental destruction, contaminates rivers with mercury and threatens traditional communities. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp Mapinguari National Park is an integral protection conservation unit. By law, any type of exploitation of natural resources in the area is strictly prohibited.

During the operation, the agents found a camp set up in the middle of the forest with a structure used to extract cassiterite, an ore used in the manufacture of tin, cell phone screens and automotive parts. There were pump motors, suction ducts, ore separation machines and equipment used in hydraulic dismantling at the site. Devastation Reports from the Federal Police and infraction notices from ICMBio indicate that the activity destroyed 39 hectares of native vegetation and affected around 4.8 kilometers of watercourses in Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs). According to the investigation, mining caused the filling of springs, the opening of large flooded pits, the diversion of natural drainage and the contamination of soil, water and air. For the environmental damage, ICMBio imposed a fine of R$450,000. The Federal Police's expertise estimated the minimum amount necessary to recover the degraded area and compensate for lost environmental services at R$2,180,871.36. The investigations also showed that neither the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) nor the National Mining Agency (ANM) had a record of an environmental license or mining authorization in the name of the accused. Operations in AM destroyed 375 structures and caused illegal mining to lose more than R$1 billion Who are the accused According to the Federal Public Ministry, one of the defendants financed and commanded the mining. He fled into the woods during the inspection, but was identified after leaving a backpack with personal documents at the camp. Two other men were arrested while operating machines and extracting ore. The fourth accused was found at the support camp and admitted to the agents that he participated in the mining routine, according to the complaint. Complaint requests In addition to the criminal conviction, the Federal Public Ministry asks the four defendants to pay R$2,180,871.36 to repair the environmental and property damage caused by the illegal activity. The agency also requests the payment of R$10,000 for collective moral damages, an amount that must be allocated to the Fund for the Defense of Diffuse Rights, in addition to the delivery of all the cassiterite seized during the operation to the National Mining Agency. READ ALSO: Gold seizure soars by 830% and exposes new route for illegal mining Factions transform environmental crimes into new frontier of power in Amazonas Red Command dominates illegal mining in indigenous land and turns gold into currency of crime, says PF The number of dredgers destroyed in PF operations against illegal mining in Amazonas rises to 98 Photo Disclosure/PF

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