By Omar Bah
Interpol has announced a significant operation against illegal gold mining in West Africa, which resulted in 200 arrests across The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Senegal. From July to October 2024, Operation Sanu also targeted illegal sand mining in The Gambia for the first time.
Although the central focus of the operation was illegal gold mining, it also targeted unlawful sand mining in The Gambia, with raids in several locations in the Kombo and south coastal belt region, leading to seven arrests and the seizure of mining equipment and trucks loaded with sand and gravel. The operation was a first for this type of action in The Gambia. It was also an opportunity for the authorities to understand better how illegal sand mining and trade are organized. Illegal sand mining has recorded unprecedented levels in recent years and is a significant threat to the environment and local communities’ livelihoods and living conditions.
Authorities seized hazardous materials, including 150 kg of cyanide, 325 kg of activated charcoal, and nearly 7,000 explosive devices. The operation highlighted the severe environmental and health impacts of illegal mining practices in the region. “An operation targeting illegal mining in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal has led to the arrest of 200 people,” Interpol said Tuesday in a statement obtained by The Standard.
According to Interpol, Operation Sanu (July–October 2024) brought together experts from Interpol and national law enforcement agencies to combat illegal mining and associated crimes. Hundreds of officers were deployed to identify criminal routes and modus operandi in remote and isolated areas of the four countries. “The cross-border collaboration led to the seizure of significant amounts of chemicals and equipment used in illegal mining and 14 cylinders of mercury with an estimated value of over $100,000, twenty liters of nitrite acid, and two 57-liter containers of sulfuric acid. Ten kilograms of cocaine and almost 7,000 explosive devices were also seized,” Interpol added.
According to Interpol, underlining the human cost of illegal mining, the operations team also seized large quantities of opioid pain relief tablets, commonly used by miners in the region, to alleviate the pain caused by using chemicals such as mercury and cyanide in illicit small-scale gold mining. “These chemicals can have serious toxic effects on the human nervous system.”
“The operation also gave Interpol, and the law enforcement officers and prosecutors involved new insights into the wider damage caused by illegal mining in the region—from deforestation to landslides and the deviation of river flows leading to drought or flooding—as well as its impact on economies and communities in the region,” it added.
Reacting to the development, Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said: “Transnational criminal networks exploit mineral resources around the world, harming the environment, hurting national economies, weakening fragile communities, and endangering public health and safety. The operation’s success highlights the effectiveness of law enforcement when they join forces to tackle these threats.”
Operation Sanu is part of a pilot project designed to support law enforcement agencies in tackling the complex and multifaceted issues arising from illegal mining activities in Western and Central Africa. Interpol’s Environmental Security Programme, funded by the United Kingdom’s Home Office, carried out the operation.
