MANAUS-AMAZONAS, BRAZIL

A joint operation by federal agents destroyed an underground mine in Maués, in the interior of Amazonas, where approximately eight kilos of gold were extracted per week.
The work carried out last week revealed deep and precarious tunnels, accessible only by helicopter.
At the site, the agents also found 50 workers in conditions analogous to slavery.
Last week, the PF located four small interconnected underground mines that give access to a main mine.
One of them was 70 meters deep.
The structures of the mines are precarious, with wooden walls and ceilings, putting the safety of the workers at risk.
To access the tunnels, the agents used ropes tied to an improvised crane.
The investigations revealed that the miners removed the soil and placed it in basins, which were then transported out of the tunnels.
Outside, the soil was crushed and mixed with cyanide, a poison more toxic than mercury, to separate the gold.
According to the Federal Police, the eight kilos of gold removed per week are equivalent to 3.2 million reais.
In addition to the Federal Police, the operation included teams from the Federal Highway Police, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Ministry of Labor and Employment, the Public Ministry of Labor and the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI).
Since last year, five of these mines have been located and destroyed in the Maués region.
The criminals' strategy is to evade surveillance by satellites that identify these illegal activities in the forest.

Source: Amazon Agency