Interpol cracks down on illegal mining in West Africa as police make 200 arrests

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PARIS (AP) — Interpol said Tuesday a major operation targeting illegal gold mining in West Africa has resulted in 200 arrests and the seizure of harmful chemicals, explosives and drugs.

The operation spanned Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea and Senegal, exposing extensive networks behind the illicit practice, which causes widespread environmental damage and poses serious health risks.

Highlighting the grim toll on miners, authorities uncovered large quantities of painkillers used to counter the harsh effects of toxic chemicals employed in gold extraction. Substances like mercury and cyanide, commonly used in small-scale mining, pose severe risks, with prolonged exposure leading to irreversible health damage.

Interpol, the France-based global policing agency with 195 member countries, coordinated the operation from July to October 2024 in cooperation with the U.K. Home Office.

“This operation shows the strength of international cooperation in combating these threats,” the agency’s secretary general, Valdecy Urquiza, said in a statement.

In South Africa, a separate rescue operation was underway at the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine near Stilfontein, where hundreds of miners working illegally have been trapped for months in an abandoned shaft. At least 24 bodies and 34 survivors have been recovered since Friday, with more than 500 believed to remain underground in dire conditions, according to civic organizations.

Illegal mining is common in South Africa, where companies abandon unprofitable mines, leaving informal miners to extract leftover deposits illegally.

The West African police action, known as Operation Sanu, also marked a first for tackling illegal sand mining in Gambia. Raids in the Kombo and south coastal belt regions resulted in seven arrests and the seizure of mining equipment and sand-loaded trucks, Interpol said.

Sand mining has become a growing threat, devastating local ecosystems and livelihoods.