New set of ANM rules aims to combat money laundering using gold and other precious metals from illegal mining.| Photo: Leo Otero/MPI

The National Mining Agency (ANM) approved, this Wednesday (22), a set of new rules to combat money laundering with the use of gems, gold and other precious metals from illegal mining in the country.

Among the new norms are the obligation of the miner to maintain a structured register of clients and the registration of all operations carried out for a period of 10 years. They must also report any suspicious operations, based on an illustrative list of situations that characterize money laundering.

Companies considered medium and large, with revenues above R$ 16.8 million in the previous year, will have to train employees, periodically verify compliance with rules, obtain information about the purpose and nature of the business relationship, verify and validate registration information, among other measures covered by the System to Prevent and Combat Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (PLD/FTP)

Mauro Sousa, director general of ANM, explains that the regulation “is the result of a joint effort with the institutions that make up ENCCLA [Estratégia Nacional de Combate à Corrupção e à Lavagem de Dinheiro]in particular the Council for the Control of Financial Activities (Coaf), aiming at joint action by State bodies to combat illegal mining and the crimes associated with it”.

The agency also signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement with the Federal Police to carry out specific actions to inspect and combat illegal mining.

The new measures are a reflection of the discovery of illegal mining in indigenous territories at the beginning of the year. Since then, the Federal Police has been carrying out operations to combat criminal groups that sell gold and precious metals without proven origin or that use cold invoices.