Brazil’s environmental agency, IBAMA, has shut down over 50 illegal gold mining operations in the Amazon rainforest. The crackdown followed months of surveillance revealing unlicensed deforestation, mercury pollution in rivers, and human rights violations involving Indigenous communities.
Backed by drones and military helicopters, the raids mark a renewed push by President Lula’s government to protect the rainforest from extractive industries. Environmentalists welcome the move but call for sustained oversight.
South Asian conservationists, especially in India and Bhutan, have drawn parallels with illegal mining in forest zones near national parks, emphasizing the need for technology-driven monitoring systems.