INTERPOL reports drug cartels using illegal gold mining to launder cocaine profits

At the 27th INTERPOL Americas Regional Conference in Guyana, law enforcement officials identified a growing trend where criminal syndicates in Central and South America are using illegal gold mining to launder cocaine profits. INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza noted that as the scale of the drug trade grows, cartels are increasingly moving illicit cash into illegal mining activities to hide and clean their capital.

This trend was highlighted by the success of Operation Guiana Shield, a transnational crackdown involving Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname. INTERPOL President Lucas Philippe described the operation as a success that uncovered a wide criminal ecosystem, resulting in the seizure of gold, firearms, cash, drugs, mercury, and mining equipment.