SUNAT, Peru's customs agency, intercepted 4 metric tons of smuggled mercury at the Callao Port Terminal, preventing the toxic metal from reaching illegal gold mining operations in the Amazon. The seizure underscores the growing environmental and public health threat posed by unregulated mining activities fueled by high gold prices.
Mercury is increasingly used in illegal gold mining zones across the Amazon, where it causes severe contamination of waterways and ecosystems. SUNAT emphasized that this interception prevented further damage to both human health and the environment, particularly in regions where mercury contamination from mining has already created significant problems.
The illicit gold trade continues to flourish due to persistently high gold prices, driving demand for mercury in unregulated operations. This has led to ongoing biodiversity destruction and escalating health concerns throughout affected areas. The situation highlights the urgent need for global gold mining formalization, as regulated companies like Platinum Group Metals Ltd. adhere to approved environmental and safety standards.
The magnitude of mercury smuggling operations reveals the scale of illegal mining activities in the Amazon basin. Environmental experts warn that without stronger enforcement and formalization of mining practices, the ecological damage could become irreversible. The seizure at Callao Port represents one of the largest recent interceptions of contraband mercury in the region.
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