Thanks to the military operations carried out in the Orinoquía by the Colombian Navy together with Colombian National Army, the National Police and the Attorney General's Office, three people who were carrying out illegal exploitation of mining deposits on the Guaviare River, near Inírida in Guainía, were they were arrested in flagrante delicto.
The individuals were caught by the authorities in the midst of their illegal operation of an rudimentary dredge-type mining production unit, which inside had abundant equipment and supplies commonly used in this type of activities, so they were subsequently put into custody of the Attorney General's Office, to face charges for the alleged crime of illegal exploitation of mining deposits, environmental pollution and damage to natural resources.
In the same way, the equipment and supplies found, including diesel engines, suction pumps, compressors, motor pumps, hoses of different calibers, diving implements and fuel, were in the same way put into custody of the authorities. The construction, was destroyed at the scene, complying with the established protocols for environmental protection.
Simultaneously, in the sector known as Chorromanaca, a rural area of the municipality of Inírida Guainía, the authorities disabled two open-pit mining production units, which were used for the extraction of approximately five kilograms of gold per month, without having a mining title or environmental permit.
It is estimated that the cost of the three constructions and their machinery could exceed 340 million pesos and with their finding and disablement, troops prevent illegal organizations from receiving more than 196 million pesos, as a result, besides, of the collection of money from extortion against.
In 2023, the Colombian Navy has dealt decisive blows against the illicit extraction of mining deposits in the Orinoquía region, including the finding of more than 8.5 tons of metals such as coltan, gold and copper, as well as the finding and destruction of 25 mining production units, including dredgers, bongos and open-pit mines.
In this way, we contribute significantly to the protection of the environment, flora and fauna, by preventing the pollution of water resources and the degradation of soils by the use of toxic substances, mainly in the extraction of minerals; ratifying the commitment to the preservation and defense of water, biodiversity and natural resources.
Source: Press - Navy of Colombia
