Mercury Seizure Uncovers Alarming Illegal Gold Trade in Amazon

Peruvian customs officials recently seized an unprecedented shipment of illegal mercury, revealing a cross-border smuggling operation fueling one of the Amazon's most damaging criminal economies: illicit gold mining. The discovery, made at Callao port in June, represents the largest mercury capture in an Amazonian country and among the world's most significant to date.

The mercury, worth approximately $500,000, was concealed in bags of gravel aboard a vessel bound for Bolivia. Identified due to international intelligence collaboration, the mercury was embedded in the gravel, a method increasingly employed to circumvent port detection. The shipment, originating in Mexico, was specifically targeted by SUNAT's risk analysis team in conjunction with US specialists.

This confiscation marks a critical juncture in efforts to dismantle the supply chains perpetuating the Amazon's illegal gold industry. Mercury, a powerful neurotoxin, is vital for illegal gold extraction processes that result in severe environmental and health repercussions. Authorities and experts advocate closing mercury mines to curtail this toxic trade, as organized criminal groups, including significant Mexican cartels, continue to exploit existing legal loopholes.

(With inputs from agencies.)