‘Operation El Dorado’ targets illegal mining

Apr 24, 2012 News

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment’s Guyana Geology

Illegal gun found during ‘Operation El Dorado’.

and Mines Commission (GGMC) has vowed to continue to enforce the Mining Regulations to reduce illegal mining and other illicit activities within the sector.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GGMC, Major General (rtd) Joseph Singh; and other senior officers of the government recently met with a high level delegation from the State of Roraima, Brazil following the detention of scores of illegal Brazilian miners.
The meeting was also a part of the recently launched ‘Operation El Dorado’ to combat widespread illegal mining.
Minister Persaud pointed out that the operation is intended to target illegal mining and unregulated mining activities. He advised the meeting that a large number of Brazilians were caught engaging in illegal mining activities.
However, the visit of the high level team is welcomed to examine a joint effort to ensure Brazilian miners are registered and engaged in sustainable mining activities while complying with national laws.
Persaud assured the visiting delegation that the Government of Guyana values the friendship of its southern neighbour and the investments made by Brazilians in Guyana.
The team, which included Deputy Francisco Xingu, President of Commission Assembly Legislative Roraima of Human Rights; Deputy Francisco de Sales Guerra Neto, President Assembly Legislative of Roraima State, Deputy Cornel Chagas, Member of Public Service & Security, and Ms. Leila King, Guyana Consul General to Boa Vista agreed to work closely with the Government of Guyana and the Brazilian Embassy to provide necessary support to Brazilians to regularize their activities.

River Bank Mining in Puruni River

In order to adequately regulate the sector, the Government of Guyana between April 10th and 15th embarked on a campaign “Operation El Dorado” to stop illegal mining and related activities in the Puruni area, Region Seven.
The operation involved inspection of mining camps and operations to determine the status of the property being worked, verification of mining privileges and certificate of registration for persons employed, inspection of the requisite documentations, including dredge licences and production books, sanitation, environmental and occupational health and safety compliance.
Also, the Guyana Police Force’s Tactical Services Unit checked for guns, ammunition and drugs, while an immigration team checked the status of foreign workers.
The operation resulted in the detention of 94 foreign miners who were breaching the mining, environment and/or immigration laws.
In most cases, these workers had no work-permits, no certificate of registration and in other cases, expired visas. In addition, 32 local miners were found in breach of the mining regulations.
Additionally, two river-based operations breached the Cease Work Orders and continued working the river banks, which is prohibited according to the mining regulations. Gold production records were incomplete and in some cases non-existent.
The operation also found mining on the prohibited river bank buffer zones, while the Guyana Police Force discovered an illegal firearm. A quantity of raw gold that was illegally obtained was seized.
The GGMC is being supported by the Guyana Police Force in the ongoing ‘Operation El Dorado’. Further, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has been urging the authorities to step up its campaign on illegal mining.

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