The advance of illegal mining in Maranhão is “extremely serious” and attracts slave labor and drug trafficking, points out MPF Reproduction/Social Media The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) classified the situation of illegal mining in Centro Novo do Maranhão and Centro do Guilherme, in the west of the state, as “extremely serious”. The two municipalities are part of the advancement of several crimes linked to the clandestine extraction of minerals in the state. 📲 Click here and subscribe to the g1 Maranhão channel on WhatsApp According to the agency, gold exploration occurs without effective control by public authorities and already leaves a trail of contamination by heavy metals that threatens human health and the ecosystem in the Gurupi region, on the border with Pará. On social media, posts in Centro Novo show mining operations operating freely, with workers acting in an improvised manner, without safety equipment and using chemicals in open areas. Experts point out that the scenario represents an environmental crisis with direct impacts on rivers, fish and local communities. For researcher and head of the Geosciences Department at the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), Marcelino Silva, there are already concrete signs of environmental contamination in the region. "In Centro Novo there is already evidence of contamination in the Cachoeira stream and also in the Gurupi river by mercury. (...) This finding is worrying because in the Cachoeira stream, where there were a lot of fish, today there are no more and those that exist already have signs of contamination. The sediments are certainly already contaminated", he declares. In a video recorded in Centro do Guilherme, a resident reports the disappearance of fish in the Maracaçumé River, essential for the city's water supply. "It's not fair to do something like that... our nature, our river is all dirty with mining water. There isn't a single fish here. Help, we're asking for help", he says. The oceanographer and specialist in aquatic toxicology at UFMA, Mariana Basso, explained the risks of mercury used in illegal mining. "In the environment, mercury can transform into even more toxic forms and accumulate in food. In the short term, it can cause irritation and poisoning. Prolonged exposure can affect the nervous system, causing motor changes, memory difficulties, learning problems and other neurological effects." Scenario is already known Public Prosecutor Alexandre Soares stated that the scenario had already been observed in previous MPF operations and that the Federal Court recognized oversight failures by the National Mining Agency (ANM). "We have the formation of real craters there with people working in a crowded manner using chemicals that are harmful to health and the environment. This situation has already been proven in previous operations carried out by the Federal Public Ministry and more recently the Federal Court ratified this situation, including condemning the National Mining Agency for oversight failures in that region." The Gurupi region has been the target of federal operations for at least five years. In 2021, the Federal Police carried out one of the first major actions against illegal mining in Centro Novo do Maranhão, seizing machines and serving five arrest warrants, including that of the then mayor Júnior Garimpeiro. He was later released and re-elected in 2024. In September last year, the PF returned to the municipality to seize equipment used in mining. Two months later, the mayor was arrested again in the act in Mato Grosso, transporting bags of ore and gold remains. Currently, he responds to investigations in freedom. New measures In May of this year, the MPF opened a new administrative action to expand inspection in the region. But one of the excerpts from the document draws attention because it highlights the State's own difficulties in combating mining. The document points out that the Federal Court has already ordered the suspension of illegal mining activities in Centro Novo do Maranhão, but the National Mining Agency claimed “technical and material impossibility” to comply with the orders due to the lack of overt support from the security forces. In a note sent to TV Mirante, ANM reported that it requested support from the Federal Police and the Military Police for a joint operation, but stated that “there has not yet been sufficient operational mobilization to guarantee security for the inspection teams”. The agency also declared that specific actions would not be able to resolve the problem given the magnitude and complexity of the illegal activity already established in the area. In addition to the environmental impacts, the MPF warns of the spread of other criminal practices in the region. According to the agency, mining areas in Centro Novo do Maranhão and Centro do Guilherme have become centers of attraction for drug trafficking, human trafficking and slave labor. For prosecutor Alexandre Soares, the main challenge is to expand the State's presence in the region. "The biggest challenge, in fact, is not a challenge that is either judicial or that of the Public Ministry. It is a challenge, in fact, that belongs to the Brazilian State, which is to be present in that region. Effectively, giving an adequate destination to that mining resource that exists there, allowing it to be explored in a rational way, in an environmentally appropriate way and with supervision". The Public Security Secretariat of Maranhão reported that it works permanently to combat environmental crimes and organized crime through Operation Protector of the Biome/Amazon. According to the ministry, the task force brings together the Civil and Military Police, the Fire Department and the Tactical Air Center, with recent actions to seize weapons, drugs and raids in the Legal Amazon region. The Federal Police and the Municipality of Centro do Guilherme did not respond to the report's questions. The Municipality of Centro Novo do Maranhão reported that it carries out inspections, educational activities and monitoring of sensitive areas, such as rivers and streams. The municipal management also declared that the Municipal Environment Secretariat is available to the Federal Public Ministry and the Federal Police to support inspections that are the responsibility of the Union. Now on g1