Eight Peruvian navy personnel jumped from a helicopter into a clearing carved out of the Amazon rainforest by illegal gold miners along the Malinowski River in Peru's Madre de Dios region. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
During the operation, troops found a camp abandoned in haste. Crushed beer cans and empty liquor bottles littered the ground alongside mattresses, clothes and tools. That day's lunch — rice and plantain — still sat in plastic containers. Freezers and fuel containers dotted the camp, alongside live chickens and guinea pigs kept for food.
The raid over several days this week was part of an intensified government campaign against illegal gold mining in Madre de Dios, one of Peru's most biodiverse regions, as authorities try to stop the activity from advancing into protected areas of the Amazon.
Mining has stripped away vast areas of rainforest, leaving behind a scarred landscape of contaminated pools and altered rivers. Mercury used to separate gold from sediment has contaminated waterways, wildlife and people, including Indigenous communities that depend heavily on fish.
The troops were one of eight patrols, flown by helicopter to separate points along the Malinowski River. The aircraft touched down only long enough to drop each group before lifting off and moving to the next site.
During the operation, the officer leading the patrol fired a warning shot into the air. Within seconds, the miners vanished into the forest.
These measures are a significant step in the fight against illegal gold mining. Authorities continue to make efforts to protect protected areas.