More than fifty workers in situations analogous to slavery were rescued during an operation by the Federal Police in the municipality of Maués, in the interior of Amazonas.
Illegal mining underground mines were destroyed in the operation that began on January 31 and continued until this Sunday (2).
The operation was carried out in conjunction with other federal agencies based on reports of exploitation of degrading labor and use of cyanide in illegal gold extraction.
In the operation, agents disabled four mines, eight engines and 30 camps.
During the investigations, the agents identified that the workers faced exhausting shifts without access to basic rights and were exposed to risks arising from the use of toxic chemical substances.
The workers were forced to mine for gold using the 'well method' - where they would have to go down deep holes to extract the ore.
The mine targeted by this operation is one of the oldest in Brazil, and this is the first time that the Federal Police has cleared an underground mine.
Considering the deforestation, contamination of groundwater and degradation of conservation areas, the losses are enormous, says the Federal Police.

Source: Amazon Agency