PF carries out the largest operation to combat the illegal sale of mercury

The Federal Police launched an operation this Thursday morning (1st) to combat environmental crimes and illegal gold mining committed by a criminal organization, which practices illegal gold extraction in the Amazon and south and southeast of Brazil.

Five preventive arrest warrants, nine temporary arrest warrants and 49 search and seizure warrants are being served in Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Goiás, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Rondônia.

Searches include homes, businesses, warehouses, and mining areas. It was also determined the seizure and unavailability of assets of those investigated in an amount exceeding R$ 1.1 billion, which would correspond to damage to the treasury. The warrants were determined by the Federal Court of Campinas (SP).

The group is accused of smuggling mercury and supplying markets in Pará, Mato Grosso and Rondônia. This operation, called “Hermes” – an allusion to the name of the Greek god, equivalent to the god Mercury for the Romans – is considered the greatest action to dismantle the illegal use of mercury in history.

According to the PF, the operation aims to dismantle a criminal fraud scheme in the Federal Technical Register, which is the control system for importing and trading metallic mercury, under the responsibility of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment (Ibama).

The investigations showed that the fraud occurred with the entry of false data in the system, followed by the commercialization of fictitious virtual credits that covered sales and transportation of mercury without legal origin.

The PF points out that more than two tons of mercury were criminally traded without going through Ibama’s systems, and the forecast is that the operation will remove more than five tons of mercury credits from the Federal Technical Register.