With this result, the illegal economy is hit for an approximate annual income of 500 million pesos.
In the Upper West of Caldas, troops of the National Army, in a coordinated operation with the Carabineros Police and the support of the Environmental Corporation of Caldas, Corpocaldas, reported the arrest in flagrante delicto of two people who used the cubic system for the extraction of alluvial gold.
During the operation in the village of Trujillo in the municipality of Riosucio, department of Caldas, by means of infiltration and control work against the illicit extraction of minerals, two mining production units were intervened where gold was extracted and about two hectares of vegetation layer had been hit and polluted near the Cauca River.
Elements for this illegal activity were found by troops in the place: an electric chainsaw, an electric hammer drill, two electric filters with their respective motor, a rudimentary wooden washing gutter, with its respective crawler mesh, a rudimentary mill, an air extractor motor; materials that would cost commercially for 50 million pesos.
The detainees and the material were put into custody of the authority; the individuals are prosecuted for the crime of illicit exploitation of mining deposits.
It is estimated that 150 grams of gold per month would be extracted in these illegal production units, which is equivalent to an average income per sale of 42 million pesos per month, thus hitting this illegal economy by an approximate annual cost of 504 million pesos.
It should be noted that the value invested for the recovery of environmental damage is approximately 150 million pesos and could take by eight to 12 years.
The Eighth Brigade will continue to work together with the institutions to counteract all practices of water resource pollution and ensure the protection of life.
Source: Press Fifth Division of the National Army
