Flygold allegedly trafficked at least 1 ton of gold in just over a year 

Brazilian authorities recently uncovered an elaborate gold trafficking network that bypassed increased domestic enforcement by laundering gold abroad. The organization, known as Flygold, allegedly trafficked at least 1 ton of gold in just over a year — hidden in thermoses, carried in suitcases, and even flown out by private jets.

This new strategy of laundering gold across borders underscores how enforcement in one country can push illegal operations into others. “We can see very clearly that the sector has been restructured,” said Raoni Rajão, a researcher at Minas Gerais Federal University. “The laundering of this ore may be taking place outside the country, in places with more lenient legislation.”

Illegal gold mining has had a devastating impact on the Amazon. Beyond deforestation, it has contaminated rivers with mercury and put Indigenous communities at risk.