PF opens laboratory to combat illegal mining in the Amazon

In order to strengthen the fight against illegal mining and environmental crimes in the Amazon, the Federal Police (PF) inaugurated, this Tuesday (3), the Forensic Geochemistry Laboratory for Mineral Traceability. The structure was set up at the National Institute of Criminalistics (INC), in Brasília. The initiative is part of the Ouro Alvo Program, supported by the Amazon Fund within the scope of the Amazon Plan: Security and Sovereignty (Amas).

The program has R$318.5 million in resources from the fund, managed by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), with coordination by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), to expand intelligence, inspection and repression actions against organized crime in the region.

By analyzing and recording the characteristics of Brazilian deposits, Ouro Alvo seeks to create scientific references capable of determining the origin of the ore. The technology will make it possible to compare samples of seized gold with existing records, providing evidence for investigations and inspection operations. In addition to helping to identify illegal exploration, the initiative seeks to inhibit new crimes related to irregular mining and deforestation associated with the activity.

The resources finance the acquisition of equipment for mineral and mercury analysis, machines, materials and structures for the preparation, characterization and storage of samples. The plan is structured into four axes of action, involving, in addition to the PF, the Federal Highway Police (PRF), the National Public Security Force (FNSP) and the governments of the nine states of the Legal Amazon.

"This laboratory represents a fundamental advance in the fight against illegal mining. We are strengthening the Federal Police's capacity to trace the origin of gold, produce scientific evidence and combat environmental crimes, allowing Brazil to achieve historic results in reducing deforestation", said the director of the Amazon and Environment of the Federal Police, Humberto Freire de Barros.

"The fight against illegal mining in the Amazon is a priority for President Lula's government. The identification of the 'gold DNA' strengthens the mineral's traceability, hinders the action of criminal organizations and expands inspection capacity. This initiative reaffirms the commitment to protecting the environment, defending territories impacted by illegal activity and building a sustainable and inclusive economy", highlighted the president of BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante.

The Amazon Fund's support for the Ouro Alvo Program includes the necessary structure for analyzing and storing samples at the reference center for criminal expertise linked to the National Institute of Criminalistics (INC) of the Federal Police, in Brasília.

"This laboratory will be an important milestone in the fight against illegal mining in the Amazon. We need to go beyond specific operations and reach the economic power that finances these criminal activities. With science, technology and integration of public policies, we will be able to act more effectively, protecting not only the environment, but also the health and lives of indigenous and riverside populations", stated the national secretary of Urban Environment, Water Resources and Environmental Quality of the MMA, Adalberto Maluf.