Almost 30% of Brazil’s Gold Exports Came From Illegal Mines

The illegal mining activities have resulted in deforestation of rainforests and leakage of harmful materials including mercury into the environment.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The recent report published by public prosecutors and the Federal University of Minas Gerais stated that nearly 28% of the Brazilian gold exports in 2019 and 2020 came from illegal mines. The report cited illegalities in connection with around 49 tonnes of gold over the two-year period.

It found that gold is extracted from areas that are prohibited from mining, such as protected nature reserves and indigenous lands. For instance, Amazon has several thousands of illegal mining sites, with Brazil accounting for a good portion. The illegal mining activities have resulted in deforestation of rainforests and leakage of harmful materials including mercury into the environment.

According to government data, Brazil exported 111 tonnes of gold in 2020, whereas official production totalled only 92 tonnes. This clearly indicates that some of the exported gold might have come from illegal sources, the report pointed out. The cross referencing of satellite images suggest that declared origin lacked evidence of mining locations, suggesting forgery of documents.

The major export destinations of Brazilian gold in 2019 and 2020 were Canada, Switzerland and the UK.

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