FACTSHEETCRIME CONVERGENCE IN BRAZIL

• Illegal gold mining serves as both a lucrative criminal enterprise and a vehicle for money laundering. 

• The Amazon region is exploited for illegal timber and wildlife trade, often linked to transnational organized crime. 

• Remote border areas facilitate smuggling routes for gold, wildlife, and narcotics. 

Hotspots 

Amazon Rainforest 

With its unmatched terrestrial biodiversity, the Amazon is also a primary location for illegal gold mining. Here, criminal networks exploit the region’s resources to launder illicit profits, finance drug trafficking, and destabilize local communities. 

Cerrado 

This biodiverse region is targeted for illegal timber harvesting and wildlife trade. Logging operations often overlap with land cleared for agriculture, exacerbating habitat destruction. Weak governance allows these activities to flourish with minimal consequences. 

Regulatory hurdles 

• Corruption at multiple levels of government enables criminal enterprises. 

• Weak penalties for environmental crimes fail to deter offenders. 

• The vastness of the region and limited enforcement capacity create monitoring challenges.