Peru steps up crackdown on illegal mining

Peru’s battle against illegal mining just got tighter as the government announced it will increase control over small-scale processing plants, frequently used by illicit miners to cover up their activities.
The country’s Environment Minister Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, told Agencia Andina (in Spanish) the main problem is that those plants are under the jurisdiction of regional governments, which usually don’t have enough resources to exercise strict control over them.
Unregulated mineral extraction in Peru has become an industry of its own. This forced the government to pass last year decrees.
Initially the regulations targeted unlawful activities in the Amazon, where more than 20 tonnes of gold are mined every year. The move sparked violent protests, with people killed and numerous buildings burnt.
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