Amidst the lush landscapes of South America, a daring police operation has unveiled the dark underbelly of illegal gold mining, hinting at a larger conspiracy.
11:13, Thu, Jan 22, 2026 Updated: 11:18, Thu, Jan 22, 2026
A police officer holds a lit torch during an interdiction operation in the illegal gold mining area (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
European police have assisted counterparts in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname in the world’s first ever transnational operation to combat illegal gold mining. The cross-border operation involved over 24,500 checks on vehicles and individuals and led to almost 200 arrests. These include the detention in Guyana of three men on suspicion of gold smuggling and money laundering. They were carrying unprocessed gold and $590,000 in cash and are alleged to be members of a major organized crime group with possible links to a leading Guyanan gold exporting firm.
Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said: “The surge in international gold prices in recent years has resulted in increased illegal gold mining making it the fastest-growing revenue stream for organized crime groups, including in Latin America. At INTERPOL, we are committed to working with our partners to disrupt those networks and prevent more damage to this remote and environmentally fragile region.”
View of an illegal dredger used to extract gold dust using mercury near Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The operation also led to the seizure in Guyana and Suriname of cylinders of mercury with a value of over $60,000. Mercury is commonly used in illegal gold mining to separate the gold extracted from other metals and is extremely harmful both to the environment and human health. The cylinders seized were being transported by bus, concealed in solar panels.
Operation Guyana Shield also involved ‘mirror operations’, where officers from Brazil, French Guiana and Suriname worked in tandem, carrying out checks and searches on opposite banks of the rivers Oyapock and Maroni that form the borders between French Guiana and Brazil to the south and Suriname to the west.
Illegal gold mining in the Ashanti region of Ghana. An owner of a mine stands by his sifting machine (Image: Roger Allen)
These included inspections of some of the many small stores located on the banks of the Maroni River that sell different types of supplies and equipment used in gold mining and, in some cases, are known to be involved in the smuggling of gold and illegal supplies such as mercury. The inspections marked an important first step in transnational police deployment there and officers seized counterfeit medicines, alcohol and cigarettes with a value of over $40,000.
The operation also led to the seizure of mining equipment, such as pumps and mats used to trap gold, firearms and communications equipment including mobile phones. Officers also intercepted a bus carrying undocumented migrants, including several minors suspected of being exploited for child labour or sexual abuse.
Operation Guyana Shield was led by Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname and was supported by EL PACCTO 2.0, a European Union cooperation programme that accompanies Latin American and Caribbean countries in their fight against transnational organised crime, in conjunction with INTERPOL and the High Impact Environmental Crime team of the Dutch Police.
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