The Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office reported the arrest of four members of a criminal organization dedicated to illegal mining in the department of Huánuco (northern Amazon).
“With the arrest of four people in flagrante delicto near the Centro Poblado Puerto Sira, in the district of Puerto Inca [department of Huánuco], the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Environmental Affairs has dealt a hard blow to illegal mining by issuing an interdiction against these acts,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
An interdict is a summary procedure to stop illegal acts or people committing crimes in flagrante delicto.
The prosecutor’s office points out that the members of the criminal association were engaged in gold mining and polluted the water of the rivers of Puerto Inca.
It was also reported that those arrested were caught with machines used to dredge the river bottom and backhoes, among others.
The detainees were handed over to the judicial authorities for the appropriate procedure.