PARÁ, BRAZIL — Federal police conducted an operation on Monday (5) to combat illegal gold mining on a rural property in Tucumã, in southeastern Pará state, near the Kayapó Indigenous Territory. The operation aimed to halt unauthorized mineral extraction and investigate possible environmental crimes.

During the operation, officers found the mining site in operation and seized two hydraulic excavators, two engines and two cellphones.

Teams also found a shed used as accommodation. Conditions at the site indicated that workers may have been subjected to degrading conditions, which could constitute the crime of reducing people to conditions analogous to slavery.

Information gathered during the operation may help identify those responsible for the illegal activity and the possible buyer of the extracted gold.

Amazon Agency