An Interpol-led operation targeting illegal mining in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea and Senegal has led to the arrest of 200 people and the seizure of chemicals, explosives, drugs and pain relief medication used by illegal miners.
Operation Sanu, which ended in late 2024, brought together experts from Interpol and national law enforcement agencies to combat illegal mining and associated crimes. Hundreds of officers deployed to identify criminal routes and modus operandi in remote and isolated areas of the four countries, Interpol said in a statement.
The cross-border collaboration led to the seizure of significant amounts of chemicals and equipment used in illegal mining:
150 kilograms of cyanide, 325 kilograms of active charcoal, 14 cylinders of mercury with an estimated value of more than $100,000,
20 liters of nitric acid, and two 57-liter containers of sulfuric acid. Officials also seized 10 kilograms of cocaine and almost 7,000 explosives.
Authorities also seized large quantities
of opioid tablets commonly used by miners
to alleviate pain caused by the use of chemicals such as mercury and cyanide in illicit small-scale gold mining. These chemicals can have toxic effects on the nervous system, Interpol cautioned.
“The operation also gave Interpol and the law enforcement officers and prosecutors involved new insights into the wider damage caused by illegal mining in the region — from deforestation to landslides and the deviation of river flows leading to drought or flooding — as well as its impact on economies and communities in the region,” Interpol said.
Operation Sanu is part of a pilot project to support law enforcement agencies as they tackle the complex and multifaceted issues arising from illegal mining in Western and Central Africa. It was carried out by Interpol’s Environmental Security Programme with funding from the United Kingdom’s Home Office.