Panama Authorities Locate Illegal Mining in Eight Camps Finding Water Pumps and Gold Remnants

Agents from the National Border Service (Senafront), together with officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, located an area on the Sábalos River, Darién, where illegal mining activities were taking place.  This is a large area that was dredged to extract gold, Senafront reported in a statement.

At the moment, no arrests have been made. However, authorities found remains of extracted gold, motor pumps, digital scales, and eight makeshift camps at the site. Officers arrived at the scene after receiving citizen complaints about suspicious activity in the area. 

“The evidence collected suggests severe environmental damage along more than 10 kilometers of riverbank, with at least seven points visibly affected,” the agency said.  Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the presence of this machinery in the dredged area.