Interpol has arrested at least 200 people in four West African countries as part of operations against illegal mining, the international police body said on Tuesday.
The operations, code-named Sanu, were carried out in Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea and Senegal from June to October last year, the agency has said.
Investigators seized a large quantity of chemicals and equipment used in illegal mining, including 150 kilograms (331 pounds) of cyanide, 325 kilograms (717 pounds) of active charcoal, 14 cylinders of mercury worth more than $100,000, 20 liters of nitrite acid, and two 57-liter containers of sulfuric acid.
The seizure also includes 10 kilograms of cocaine and almost 7,000 explosive devices.
The operation revealed the environmental damage resulting from illegal mining such as deforestation, landslides, drought, and flooding, the statement said.
“Transnational criminal networks exploit mineral resources around the world, harming the environment, hurting national economies, weakening fragile communities, and endangering public health and safety. The operation’s success highlights the effectiveness of law enforcement when they join forces to tackle these threats,” said Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza.
Although the operation primarily aimed to combat illegal gold mining, it also targeted illegal sand mining for the first time in Gambia, arresting seven people and seizing mining equipment.
Operation Sanu is part of a pilot project designed to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts to tackle the complex and multifaceted issues arising from illegal mining activities in Western and Central Africa.
Operation Sanu was carried out by INTERPOL’s Environmental Security Programme with funding by the United Kingdom’s Home Office.
Underlining the human cost of illegal mining, the operations team also seized large quantities of opioid pain relief tablets, commonly used by miners in the region to alleviate the pain caused by the use of chemicals such as mercury and cyanide in illicit small-scale gold mining. These chemicals can have serious toxic effects on the human nervous system.
The operation also gave INTERPOL and the law enforcement officers and prosecutors involved new insights into the wider damage caused by illegal mining in the region – from deforestation to landslides and the deviation of river flows leading to drought or flooding – as well as its impact on economies and communities in the region.
