With this illegal activity, they exploited approximately 780 grams of gold per month, valued each gram at 190,000 pesos, thus reaching a figure of more than 148,000,000 COP in each 30-day period.
In execution of a unified operation, in the department of Caldas, with the Carabineros Police, the CTI (Technical Investigations Corps) of the Attorney General's Office and with the accompaniment of Corpocaldas, it was possible the arrest in flagrante delicto of 13 individuals who were engaged in the illicit exploitation of mining deposits in the Cauca River, in a rural area of the municipality of Anserma, Caldas.
National Army troops arrived at La India village, in this municipality, who found these men carrying out the illegal activity with two cubicles at the water source. After carrying out the inspection of the place, the authorities found abundant material for this type of illegal operations against the environment.
These individuals, for several months, had allegedly illegally exploited two hectares of the Cauca River, equivalent to the size of two football fields, destroying parts of the second most important freshwater tributary in Colombia.
With this illegal activity, they exploited approximately 780 grams of gold per month, valued each gram at 190,000 pesos, thus reaching a figure of more than 148,000,000 Colombian pesos in each 30-day period.
The thirteen individuals and the material found were the put into custody of the authority to be charged with the crime of illicit exploitation of mining deposits.
With this result, it was possible to reduce the environmental impact and contain the pollution of the Cauca River, the second most important in the country. To recover the vegetal layer of the water tributary, it takes 10 to 15 years and an approximately 180,000,000 COP in the damaged area.
It is noteworthy that, during the year 2022, thanks to the commitment of Colombian soldiers to the Coffee region area, 96 arrests for illegal exploitation of the environment were possible.
In this way, of the departments of Caldas, Quindío and Risaralda, the Army troops ratify their oath to the Homeland to defend the sovereignty, the good territorial physical condition of the nation and its resources.
Source: Press – National Army
