Illegal mining operation shut down in Novo Mundo, Brazil

Environmental police from the Batalhão de Proteção Ambiental carried out an operation in the rural area of Novo Mundo, Mato Gras, on 5 June. Acting on alerts from monitoring systems and the federal Mais Brasil platform, officers seized a range of mining equipment—including stationary engines, a mineral‑washing plant and a hydraulic excavator—and halted an illegal mineral extraction and deforestation activity.

The 38‑year‑old owner of the property was taken into custody, confessed to lacking any environmental licence and was transferred to the nearest police station. The seized machinery was handed over to the municipality of Peixoto de Azevedo. The action formed part of the “Operação Protetor do Bioma,” a broader environmental‑crime enforcement effort by state security forces.

Authorities filed the appropriate inspection, deposit and seizure documents and will pursue administrative, civil and criminal responsibility for the violations.