Eleven people were arrested in the action, which is part of Operation “Ágata Fronteira Norte”.
By First Lieutenant (T) Nathalia Barbosa – Boa Vista, RR
Brazilian Navy (MB, per its Portuguese acronym) service members, part of the Component Naval Force (FNC, per its Portuguese acronym) of Operation Ágata Fronteira Norte, seized 800 kg of cassiterite on August 4-5, and arrested 11 people at the Xitei mining site, in the Yanomami Indigenous Land (TIY, per its Portuguese acronym). They also found seven grams of gold, weapons, ammunition, among other materials. The detainees were sent to the headquarters of the Federal Police Superintendence in Boa Vista (RR).
This action was carried out in coordination with teams from the Federal Police (PF), the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) and included, for the first time, an agent from the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI), due to the proximity between the illegal mining site and the indigenous community. With these arrests, the number of detainees has reached 131 since February this year, when the confrontation with illegal activities in the region and the Yanomami humanitarian crisis began.
Actions in the Yanomami Indigenous Land
MB has been working together with Public Security Bodies (OSP), Government Agencies and other Armed Forces, with the objective of curbing illegal mining in TIY. To date, approximately 400 Naval Force personnel have been deployed in the operation, which has already resulted in a 95% reduction in these activities.
Since February, the joint effort of the Armed Forces, OSP, and agencies has totaled 6,297 flight hours; the transportation of 371 indigenous people and 4,523 members of the operation; 202 aeromedical evacuations; 3,029 medical services; and 28,811 food baskets distributed.
Source: Navy News Agency