HomeNewsBriefColombia Forms New Joint Unit to Combat Illegal Mining
BRIEF

Colombia Forms New Joint Unit to Combat Illegal Mining

COLOMBIA / 15 OCT 2012 BY INSIGHT CRIME EN

Colombia has created a special unit comprised of nearly 400 police, military, and prosecutors to combat illegal mining in Antioquia province, an indication of the growing importance of the crime as a source of financing for the country's criminal groups.

Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon announced that a group of 386 military soldiers and police would be sent to the municipalities of Remedios, Segovia, Vegachi, and Yali to halt illegal mining activities in northeast Antioquia, one of the provinces most affected by unliscenced mine, reported EFE. Police would go into the areas first and receive military support, Pinzon said, adding that “even more important” was the addition of two specialized prosecutors who would work to bring the criminals to justice after their arrest.

Groups like the Urabeños and the Rastrojos, as well as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in particular are involved in the area’s illegal mining activities, according to EFE. The fight against illegal mining would therefore also help in the fight against drug trafficking, Pinzon said. He added that the government had already halted production at six illegal mines in the area, arresting 14 people and seizing three backhoes.

The formation of this special unit comes 10 months after President Juan Manuel Santos announced that illegal mining would be a top priority for his administration.

InSight Crime Analysis

The Colombian government has said that criminal groups control illegal mines in half the country, either through the extortion of miners operating without licenses, or through their direct involvement in mining operations.  As Colombia continues to crack down on drug trafficking, illegal organizations have diversified their financing sources to activities like illegal mining. It’s estimated that illegal mining now makes up a third of the FARC’s revenue, for instance, after drug trafficking and other forms of extortion. The FARC's 36th Front in Anori, , Antioquia, for example, charge around $1,600 for each backhoe entering its territory and around $530 per month for upkeep.

In April 2012, Colombia’s departing national police chief, Oscar Naranjo, called illegal mining the biggest challenge facing his successor. Part of that challenge arises from the fact that Colombia’s legal framework to prosecute illicit mining is not as extensive as the framework in place for drug traffickers. The Prosecutor General's Office created an environmental crime office in January which tackles illegal mining in an effort to address this problem.

Because police are traditionally charged with going after neo-paramilitary criminal gangs like the Urabeños and Rastrojos, while the military is tasked with confronting rebel guerrilla groups like the FARC, the creation of this joint unit of police, military, and specialized prosecutors could help streamline the fight against illegal mining.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COCAINE / 3 OCT 2022

Colombia's region of Catatumbo and Venezuela's state of Zulia jointly form one of the world's busiest cocaine corridors.

COCAINE / 17 FEB 2023

Wilder Emilio Sánchez Farfán, alias “Gato Farfán” helped develop Ecuador's credentials as a drug trafficking hub.

BOLIVIA / 8 NOV 2022

The Amazon is being plundered at an accelerating rate. Deforesters across Bolivia and Ecuador are emboldened to clear trees for…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…