Former mayor of Nova Olinda and three others are convicted of illegal mining in AM

Illegal mining

One of the defendants is a former mayor of Nova Olinda do Norte, and another was convicted of subjecting workers to conditions analogous to slavery.

Maues (AM) – The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) obtained the conviction of four people for illegal exploitation of gold and deforestation in Garimpo do Abacaxis, a mining region located on Union land, in the rural area of ​​the municipality of Maués, 258 kilometers from Manaus. One of the defendants is a former mayor of Nova Olinda do Norte, and another was convicted of subjecting workers to conditions analogous to slavery.

The sentence, handed down on Tuesday (6), is by the 7th Federal Environmental and Agrarian Court of Amazonas. Sebastião Rodrigues Maciel (former mayor of Nova Olinda do Norte/AM), Carlos Vitorino da Silva, Antônio de Oliveira (representative of Aurobrás Mineração) and Dilvan Lucio Simioni were convicted of the crime of deforestation and forest degradation (art. 50A of the Law 9,605/98), as well as a crime against property belonging to the Union (art. 2 of Law 8,176/91). Carlos Vitorino da Silva was also convicted of exploiting labor in conditions analogous to slavery, art. 149 of the Penal Code.

The full complaint by the MPF is from July 2017, but illegal activities in the region have already been investigated since 2013, through a police inquiry. The initial accusation came from Suzel GVP Mineração, a company that denounced the invasion of land with the use of tractors, backhoes and heavy machinery.

In addition to the machinery, investigations by authorities and environmental agencies also found the existence, on site, of a clandestine landing strip and road, fuel storage, containers and camps. The accusatory piece mentions the deforestation of approximately 70 hectares of native forest, a region devastated by mining and illegal construction.

illegal activities

The evidence obtained confirmed illegal mineral exploration in two places: “Garimpo do Cabo” or “Tatu” and in “Fião do Abacaxis” or “Garimpo do Simioni”. A report by the Institute for Environmental Protection of Amazonas (IPAAM) reported the existence of a prospector camp, the use of mercury, explosives and waterjets in activities. During the inspection, gold mineral research permits were presented, documentation that does not authorize prospecting. The permits still referred to places other than those where mining was taking place. The exploitation of ore belonging to the Union can only be carried out with authorization from the National Mining Agency and with due environmental licensing.

The region was also inspected by an ICMBio team, in an operation launched in July 2015, when it was found that the destruction of the site reached a permanent protection area with the use of mercury. In one of the mines, attributed to Carlos Vitorino da Silva, it was also reported the existence of workers without receiving wages for more than four months and the existence of wooden and canvas dormitories called “Senzala”.

In addition to condemning the defendants to imprisonment and a fine, the court ordered the forfeiture in favor of the Union of the proceeds of crime or the goods or values ​​generated, including the gold bar weighing more than 169g seized during the Filão do Abacaxis operation, which It is held in the Federal Savings Bank. Seizure of seized machinery and instruments (trucks, tractors, excavators and buckets) was also determined. The defendants will still have their political rights suspended.

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