Seven foreign nationals arrested for illegal mining along Puruni River, Guyana

Six Brazilians and one Venezuelan were detained at two unlicensed mining sites in Region Seven. Equipment has been seized and charges filed against land owners.

Illegal mining crackdown nets seven foreign workers in Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Seven foreign nationals — six Brazilians and one Venezuelan — have been arrested following a joint enforcement operation targeting illegal mining sites along the Puruni River in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), thestkittsnevisobserver.com reports.

The operation was carried out by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) across several of the country's mining districts. Officers discovered two unlicensed sites where the foreign workers were found operating without the required documentation.

The Ministry of Natural Resources said the GGMC has since filed a range of charges against the land owners. These include operating without a licence or permit, mining without authorisation, and employing workers who hold no valid work permits or certificates of registration. Land owners were also charged with failing to maintain a register of labourers and a register of poisonous substances.

The seven detained foreign nationals were escorted to the Bartica Police Station for processing. An excavator, a dragger, and additional equipment used in the illegal operations have been placed in the State's possession.

"The ministry has taken the necessary steps to ensure all costs for environmental reclamation are covered by the unlicensed operators," the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a statement. The ministry added that the two dismantled sites are among several others shut down over the past few months, following President Irfaan Ali's directive to strengthen compliance in the mining sector.

In January, Ali warned that gold miners who fail to declare their production will face immediate consequences, including deregistration, prosecution, and possible expulsion. "All registered dredges with no declaration will be deregistered, and all foreign miners operating illegally in Guyana must be identified for prosecution and expulsion," Ali said.

Source: Google News GY — Crime