Within the framework of the Ayacucho Plus Campaign Plan, troops of the 22nd Infantry Battalion Batalla de Ayacucho, attached to the Eighth Brigade, carried out a military operation against illegal mining in the village of El Progreso, municipality of Victoria, department of Caldas.
During the intervention, in a rural area on the Purnio River, the troops found three dredgers used for the extraction of material below water level, four engines, two grenades, water pump filters, three linked meshes and other elements used in the illegal exploitation of mining sites.
An estimated 298 grams of gold was being extracted every month from this illegal activity, at a price of close to 140 million pesos.
These practices not regulated by environmental organizations generate serious damage to water tributaries, directly spoiling the quality of life of the surrounding villages.
Colombian National Army will continue to work against environmental crimes, with the firm purpose of preserving life and contributing to the maintenance of natural resources in the medium and long term.
Source: National Army - Fifth Division Press.
