SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian federal police on Tuesday raided a criminal organization accused of laundering at least 3.1 tons of gold mined in the Amazon to disguise its illegal origins.
The group operated within the territory of the Kayapo people in Para State and is believed to have links to an organisation that gold illegally mined from Yanomami territory in the state of Roraima, the police statement said. The suspects were not named, but some are government officials and indigenous people.
Authorities executed 33 search warrants and 13 preventive arrest warrants in the states of Para, Amazonas, Roraima and Mato Grosso. A federal judge ordered the freezing of 2.9 billion reais ($512 million) in assets, the statement said.
In another operation on Tuesday, federal police conducted a search targeting a Sao Paulo-based group that police allege has laundered money linked to illegal mining in the states of Para and Mato Grosso. The group conducted financial transactions through shell companies and individuals, moving 3 billion reais ($530 million) over the past four years, police said in a separate statement.
A judge has ordered the freezing of 1.3 billion reais ($230 million) in assets linked to the suspects, whose names have not been released. The Federal Police said the suspects could face charges of illegal gold mining and trading, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization.
During the raid, officials found hunting trophies in a suspect’s home, including a stuffed hippo, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest and lion. Environmental regulator Ibama said in a statement that only seven of the 12 items had proper documentation related to their import.
