‘Family in the car’ is new disguise for illegal mineral transport in the country; In one week there were more than 140 kg seized
A supposed family trip has been the new illegal gold carriers tactic in the north of the country. The ore has been used by criminal organizations as a bargaining chip for illicit practices, so many people have used this “technique.” What demonstrates this was the new seizure by the Federal Highway Police (PRF) that seized on Wednesday afternoon (6), in Altamira (PA), on BR-230 (Transamazônica) about 40 kg of massive gold transported in a white eclipse, year 2024, where four people were, two adults, one teenager and one child. To the less cleared looks, it configures a family traveling.
But the PRF has already noticed this crime trend and has made a greater check on the trip route and checking all the information more carefully. And it is the contradictions and nervousness that raise the suspicion for a more detailed inspection in the vehicle. In this most recent episode, adults were sent to (PF) and minors to the competent authorities. This was the second largest seizure in the history of federal highways.
In just 48 hours, the PRF withdrew more than 140 kg of the mineral in Roraima and Pará. The material seized in both occurrences is valued at another R $ 80 million. On BR-401, in Boa Vista (RR), on Monday (4), federal road police found 103 kg of gold transported in a Hilux pickup truck, as brought the column. The driver was arrested and sent along with the material seized to the Federal Police. He was with his wife and a nine -month -old baby, son of the couple. The two states where the seizures occurred are part of the legal and suffer from the degradation of illegal mining, especially in indigenous territories.
Fighting Environmental Crimes
The increase in gold seizures in the northern region of the country, according to the PRF is the result of reinforcement in the number of federal road police and the structure to prevent and confront environmental crimes. Since 2023, the Amazonian Plan: Security and Sovereignty (AMAS), implemented by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), has intensified the state’s presence in the Legal Amazon and the joint action between public security and environmental preservation institutions.
Among the activities performed by members of the Ames plan are the removal of people who illegally occupy indigenous lands, including Ti Yanomami, the fight against illegal extraction of wood and ore. To meet the objectives of the AMAS plan, the PRF allocated to the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins 72 new vehicles and more than 500 police officers from the last police training course. They join police officers who were already working in the region.
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the young Pan.
