A Brazilian national has been arrested in the Iwokrama Protected Area as authorities continue targeted operations to stem illegal gold mining in the highly sensitive forest reserve.
The arrest was made on November 1, during a joint enforcement operation involving the Iwokrama International Centre, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Police Force and Iwokrama Rangers.
The suspect has been identified as Flaviano Teixiera-Costa. During the operation, several other miners escaped into the forest. However, passports and other personal documents recovered at the site indicated that at least four other Brazilian nationals have been participating in the illegal mining activity. They have been named as Jailson Ferreira Lima, Iago Silva Alves, Jose Antonio Rodrigues Dos Santos, and Jose Do Santos Silvino.
According to Iwokrama, Silvino was previously apprehended during a separate operation in the protected area on October 8.
Investigators believe the men entered Guyana under the guise of tourism before travelling into the rainforest with the intention of conducting illegal gold mining.
The Iwokrama International Centre has reiterated that mining is strictly prohibited within the protected area under the Iwokrama Act of 1996. The organisation emphasised that illegal mining threatens ecological systems, affects the livelihoods of local communities and undermines national forest management efforts.
The Centre indicated that it will publish the identities and photographs of individuals found engaging in illegal mining in the reserve.
Iwokrama also highlighted that enforcement activities are being carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Protected Areas Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others. The organisation says collaboration remains key to curbing illegal operations in the region.
The Iwokrama forest spans over 371,000 hectares and is considered one of Guyana’s most important environmental assets, supporting research, conservation and sustainable development initiatives.
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