Illegal gold miners arrested in Iwokrama Protected Area crackdown

A joint operation led by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Police Force, and Iwokrama rangers has resulted in the arrest of a Brazilian national for illegal gold mining within the Iwokrama Protected Area.

The arrest of Flaviano Teixiera-Costa on November 1 marks the latest in ongoing efforts by the Iwokrama International Centre and government agencies to curb illegal mining in the protected forest, a UNESCO-recognised biodiversity hotspot, a release said.

Despite a decline in such activities over the past year, authorities say foreign nationals continue to enter Guyana under the guise of tourism to engage in illicit mining. Several miners reportedly fled during the recent enforcement mission, but passports recovered at the site identified Jailson Ferreira Lima, Iago Silva Alves, Jose Antonio Rodrigues Dos Santos, and Jose Do Santos Silvino as participants in the illegal operation.

Iwokrama confirmed that Jose Do Santos Silvino had earlier been apprehended during a similar operation on October 8.

The Iwokrama Act of 1996 prohibits gold mining within the Iwokrama Forest, the Centre said in a statement, warning that such violations pose a serious threat to national ecological integrity, disrupt traditional livelihoods, and undermine protected area management.

The centre reiterated its zero-tolerance stance, stating that it reserves the right to publish the names and photographs of individuals caught engaging in illegal mining within the reserve.

Iwokrama’s management expressed appreciation for the continued collaboration of the Ministry of Natural Resources, GGMC, Guyana Police Force, Protected Areas Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency, noting that joint enforcement is essential to combat illegal mining in the region.