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Guyana Consul in Boa Vista flocked

May 15, 2012 News

 

…as campaign against illegal mining continues

Brazilian miners, popularly called garimpieros, have been flocking the Guyana Consulate in Boa Vista to seek legal status in Guyana following several raids to root out illegal miners.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) have launched “Operation El Dorado” to enforce mining regulations to reduce illegal mining and other illicit activities within the sector.
An official told Kaieteur News that since the first interior raid nabbed some 100 illegal miners, Brazilians in neighbouring Boa Vista have been crowding the Guyana Consulate there.
Guyana’s Honorary Consul in Boa Vista is Leila King. She recently visited with a high level delegation from the State of Roraima.
King has been dealing with scores of cases of Brazilians wanting work permits and others inquiring about how they can secure these permits.
For years, Brazilian miners have operated illegally in Guyana and it is a problem that was before largely ignored. Former President Bharrat Jagdeo once brushed aside the issue, saying that illegal
miners have in fact introduced Guyanese to new technologies in mining.
In mid-April, Operation El Dorado targeted 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 documentation, including dredge licences and production books, sanitation, environmental and occupational health and safety compliance.
Also, the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Tactical Services Unit team checked for guns, ammunition and drugs, while an immigration team checked the status of foreign workers.
As a result of that operation, almost 100 illegal miners were nabbed.  In most cases, these mine workers were without work-permits while some had expired visas.
Over 30 local mines workers were also picked up in the operation. It was found that in Puruni, owners of mines who were told to cease operations had ignored this order and continued to work. 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 GPF 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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