An operation against illegal gold mining arrested five people in the Urupadi National Forest, in southern Amazonas. Among those arrested are two Army soldiers.
Conducted by the National Security Force and the Chico Mendes Institute, the operation lasted five days and dismantled 34 illegal camps, equipped with televisions and internet access. In addition to burning the structures, the agents destroyed machinery and seized weapons and ammunition.
Two clandestine landing strips were destroyed. According to the National Security Force, around 50 square kilometers were devastated. The miners arrested were fined BRL 3.6 million and will face criminal charges.
In all, around 50 garimpeiros were identified in the region, but only five were arrested. In a note, the Army reported that it does not condone illegal acts by its members and has opened an internal investigation, parallel to investigations in the civil sphere.
According to the Army, one soldier is not assigned to any unit because he has been inactive since 2011. The other will be subject to proceedings to be excluded from active service because he has a conviction in the Military Court for more than two years.
