On April 9, 2026, the Federal Police (PF) conducted a large-scale operation aimed at dismantling a criminal network dedicated to the illegal extraction and refining of gold in the Santaluz region, Bahia.
Dubbed Operation Repasse, the action is a continuation of previous investigations, such as Operations Garça Dourada, Serra Dourada, and Lixiviação, conducted between 2023 and 2024.
According to information released by the portal Metrópoles, the criminal group set up clandestine laboratories to process waste from illegal mining operations, using sophisticated industrial chemical techniques.
The criminals extracted gold from the waste through a process known as leaching, which uses large quantities of Sodium Cyanide, a highly toxic substance controlled by the Brazilian Army through the Directorate of Controlled Products Inspection (DFPC).
The irregular use of this substance poses serious risks to human health and the environment, exacerbating the impacts of illegal activity. Forensic reports indicate that the environmental damage caused by these operations exceeds R$ 180 million, highlighting the severity of the crime in the region.
On April 9, 2026, the PF executed two search and seizure warrants in Santaluz, aiming to collect assets previously seized by court order and to confiscate other items related to the illicit activities.
The operation seeks to dismantle the logistical and financial structure of the network, which operates in an organized manner with a high degree of specialization. The suspects face charges of embezzlement of Union assets, criminal association, possession of explosive devices, illegal extraction of mineral resources, and illegal use and storage of toxic substances, with combined sentences that could reach 29 years in prison.
The Federal Police’s action reinforces the fight against practices that devastate the environment and compromise natural resources belonging to the Union. In addition to ecological damage, illegal gold extraction also impacts the formal economy by diverting wealth that could be converted into societal benefits.
The operation in Santaluz demonstrates the ongoing efforts of security forces to curb the advance of illegal mining in the interior of Bahia, a region historically marked by this type of criminal activity.
Investigations are ongoing, with the possibility of new actions to identify others involved in the scheme. The PF is working to map the network’s extent and the potential damage caused in other areas of the state, while seeking to recover part of the environmental and economic losses generated by the illicit exploitation.
The case exposes the complexity of combating organized crime in the mineral sector, which requires not only repression but also public policies for the regulation and oversight of mining activities.
Original published at O Cafezinho.