It is estimated that the mineral would have a price of more than 6,600 million pesos in the international illegal market.
Through joint, coordinated and inter-institutional military operations aimed at countering the illicit exploitation of mining deposits and their natural resources in eastern Colombia, soldiers of the 43rd Motorized Infantry Battalion, unit a of the Twenty-Eighth Brigade of Colombian National Army, the Colombian Navy, the Colombian Aerospace Force, the National Police and the Attorney General of the Nation, made a new seizure, this time of 23 tons of coltan.
The action occurred on Route 38, a road that leads of the municipality of Cumaribo, to that of Palmarito, department of Vichada, while the troops was carrying out a road control checkpoint in the sector. In this way, the truck in which 19,000 kilograms of a sandy element were found by troops, which by its physical characteristics would correspond to coltan.
In the same way, in the last few hours, the Combat Engineer Battalion N. 28 has also confiscated 4,000 kilograms more of coltan in the municipality of La Primavera, department of Vichada, which adds up to 23 tons found in recent days in Vichada, and totals the confiscation of 81 tons of this mineral this year.
Coltan is made of minerals such as columbite, cassiterite and tantalite, and when it is exploited illegally it becomes a source of illegal financing for armed groups organized outlaw. In addition, it should be noted that in the departments of Vichada and Guainía there is no legislation or permits for coltan to be extracted legally.
Colombian National Army, in coordination with the unified action, will continue to carry out military operations that lead to preserve the ecosystems, water sources and natural resources of the region.
Source: Press - Eighth Division of Colombian National Army
