Two senior police officers were arrested in Brazil on suspicion that they took bribes and provided security for illegal gold mining activity in the Amazon, reported Reuters.
Brazilian authorities suspect the two officers were receiving money to overlook and even provide private security for trading of gold illegally extracted from Indigenous lands and conservation areas, according to a court decision and a federal police statement.
Another 36 police officers were removed from their jobs for suspected involvement in the protection scheme, according to the documents, which also said luxury cars, jewelry, cell phones and an unspecified amount of gold and cash were seized.
Two businessmen from the gold firm Gana Gold were also preventively arrested.
The news agency noted that Brazil is trying to crack down on illegal gold mining that has surged in recent years, fueled by record high prices and the absence of enforcement. More than half the gold exported from Brazil is believed to be illegally produced.
The police said it has found “strong evidence” that the gold traded by the criminal organization comes from locations near or within the Munduruku Indigenous land, a reservation in the Amazon rainforest.
The federal police statement said the Gana Gold had an estimated income of 1.1 billion reais (US$182.9 million) between 2020 and 2021, adding that it has already been at the center of other official investigations into illegal mining.
Brazilian authorities earlier this month began an operation to remove illegal gold miners from the Munduruku reservation.
Source: Reuters