- Title: PERU: Army forces destroy illegal gold mining dredgers in the Peruvian Amazon
- Date: 21st February 2011
- Summary: IQUITOS, PERU (FEBRUARY 19, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF PERUVIAN NAVY BOARDING HELICOPTERS TO BEGIN MILITARY OPERATION AGAINST ILLEGAL MINING VARIOUS OF NAVY HELICOPTER TAKING OFF MADRE DE DIOS, PERU (FEBRUARY 19, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS AERIAL SHOTS OF AMAZON REGION DEVASTATED BY ILLEGAL GOLD MINING VARIOUS AERIAL SHOTS OF INDUSTRIAL DREDGING MACHINES OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN THE ZONE PATROL IN SPEEDBOATS GOING TO INTERVENE IN DREDGING OPERATION ONE OF THE TWELVE DREDGING MACHINES ON FIRE AFTER BEING DESTROYED WITH EXPLOSIVES NEWS CONFERENCE OF DEFENSE MINISTER JAIME THORNE, ENVIRONMENT MINISTER ANTONIO BRACK AND INTERIOR MINISTER MIGUEL HIDALGO (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PERUVIAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER, ANTONIO BRACK, SAYING: "Here we are talking about 250 dredging machines more or less, twelve large hydraulics - and this is the intervention that is occurring. The economy of gold in Madre de Dios refers to the action of between 17 or 18 tons of gold per year for a value of close to $800 million that they do not pay taxes on because it is all informal and illegal." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PERUVIAN DEFENSE MINISTER, JAIME THORNE, SAYING: "We have knowledge that there are elements linked to the Chinese mafia operating on some of these dredging machines. We are going to show evidence and prove that as a result of this operation." IQUITOS, PERU (FEBRUARY 19, 2011) (REUTERS) HELICOPTERS IN THE BASE LEAVING FOR THE OPERATION
- Embargoed: 8th March 2011 14:56
- Keywords:
- Location: Peru, Peru
- Country: Peru
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Industry
- Reuters ID: LVA591F7KWDO00R7D1780YN2YOHK
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Peruvian army and police forces on Saturday (February 19) initiated an operation to destroy illegal gold dredgers on the rivers of the southern Amazon region of Madre de Dios.
Some 400 members of the Peruvian Navy and 600 agents from the police force departed the naval base in Iquitos early on Saturday in Russian helicopters.
They arrived at the site of the illegal mining, where they began destroying and taking over the dredges.
Peruvian Minister of the Environment Antonio Brack said illegal gold mining is a profitable business.
"Here we are talking about 250 dredging machines more or less, twelve large hydraulics - and this is the intervention that is occurring. The economy of gold in Madre de Dios refers to the action of between 17 or 18 tons of gold per year for a value of close to $800 million that they do not pay taxes on because it is all informal and illegal," he told journalists at a news conference.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Jaime Thorne said authorities were investigating suspected links to Chinese organized crime.
"We have knowledge that there are elements linked to the Chinese mafia operating on some of these dredging machines. We are going to show evidence and prove that as a result of this operation," he said.
According to the Environment Ministry, about 20,000 hectares of Peruvian rainforest are destroyed and 45 tons of mercury pollute the rivers every year due to illegal gold mining.
Authorities say they plan to destroy hundreds more illegal mining operations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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