Interpol arrests 200 in operations spanning four W. African states, targeting illegal gold, sand mining

Interpol, in collaboration with West African police forces, has carried out a series of successful operations targeting illegal gold and sand mining in Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal.
The operations code-named Sanu carried out in the four west African states from June to October last year led to nearly 200 arrests, seizures of harmful chemicals, explosives, and drugs, the France-based global policing agency said in a statement on Tuesday (14 January). Investigators seized 150 kg of cyanide, 325 kg of active charcoal, 14 cylinders of mercury worth more than $100,000, 20 liters of nitrite acid, 7,000 explosive devices, and two 57-liter containers of sulfuric acid, among other dangerous chemicals and equipment used in illegal mining.
While primarily targeting illegal gold mining, the operation also aimed at combating illegal sand mining for the first time in Gambia, leading to the arrest of seven people and a seizure of mining equipment. Sand extraction has become a growing threat, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems and livelihoods of residents in surrounding communities. “Transnational criminal networks exploit mineral resources around the world, harming the environment, hurting national economies, weakening fragile communities, and endangering public health and safety,” Interpol secretary general Valdecy Urquiza said in a statement. “This operation shows the strength of international cooperation in combating these threats,” he added.