But Peru exports more gold than it officially produces every year, an indication that ore from illegal mines makes its way into the legal supply chain. Peru was the world's sixth biggest gold producer in 2015, according to the energy and mines ministry.
The previous government of Ollanta Humala estimated that illegal miners destroyed more than 50,000 hectares (123,552 acres) of rainforest and dumped at least 3,000 tonnes of mercury into the Amazon. Officials have also said that illegal mines are also hotbeds for child labor and human trafficking.
A crackdown on illegal mining during Humala's term prompted traders to smuggle gold ore to neighboring Bolivia for export.
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