According to an investigation conducted by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), there are around 2,500 illegal mining pits located across Ukraine. Most of the illegal “kopanki” pits are located in the Donbas region near Donetsk. Experts in the mining industry estimate that tens of thousands of illegal miners are working in these… Continue reading Illegal Coal Mining in Ukraine
Tag: Metals and Minerals Smuggling
Information and data on the illegal smuggling of diamonds and minerals. Often referred to as blood diamonds, Havocscope collects statistics and news regarding this black market trade.
Black Market Gold Trading in South Korea
The Financial Services Commission in South Korea reported that 110 tons of gold is traded in the country each year. Out of the total gold trade, about 70 tons of gold bullion is traded on the black market. The value of the black market gold in South Korea is estimated to be about $3 Billion… Continue reading Black Market Gold Trading in South Korea
Amount of Gold Smuggled into India
According to criminal justice officials, as of March 2014 an estimated 700 kilograms of gold is being smuggled into India every day. Between March 2013 and March 2014, the rate of gold smuggling to India has increased by nearly 300 percent, according to the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council. Officials state that the smuggling… Continue reading Amount of Gold Smuggled into India
Knights Templar Revenue from Illegal Mining
Security services in Mexico state that the organized crime group Knights Templar have made millions of dollars in the state of Michoacan by extorting local mines. The group, which primarily makes its money from drug trafficking, forces local mine operators to pay between $4 to $7 per tonne of minerals that is extracted in the… Continue reading Knights Templar Revenue from Illegal Mining
Value of Coal Theft in Indonesia from Illegal Mines
In 2013, an estimated $6 Billion worth of coal was stolen from mines in Indonesia, according to industry sources. In one mine operated by PT Bumi Resources, up to two million metric tons of coal is stolen by illegal miners and operators. At the prices of March 2014, the value of coal stolen from this… Continue reading Value of Coal Theft in Indonesia from Illegal Mines
Rainforests Destroyed in Peru due to Illegal Mining
Over 50,000 hectares of rainforests in Peru was estimated to have been destroyed in 2013 due to illegal mining activities. In 2012, 18,000 hectares of rainforest was destroyed due to illegal mining. Illegal mining has become a profitable activity on the black market for criminals in Peru. The value of the illegal gold mining in… Continue reading Rainforests Destroyed in Peru due to Illegal Mining
Gold Smuggling in India in 2013
The World Gold Council estimates that between 150 to 200 tonnes of gold was smuggled into India in 2013. Officially, there was also 900 tonnes of gold that was imported to the country during the year. ‘ Intelligence officials in India state that most of the gold originates in Dubai, with Singapore also becoming a… Continue reading Gold Smuggling in India in 2013
Number of Illegal Miners in the DR Congo
Up to 20 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo depend on the illegal mining minerals as their sole source of income, according to intelligence agencies. 80 percent of the minerals in the DR Congo are smuggled out of the country into Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Diamonds, gold an tantalum are… Continue reading Number of Illegal Miners in the DR Congo
Value of Illicit Diamond Trade in the Ivory Coast
In a 2013 report conducted by the United Nations, the value of diamonds being illegally smuggled out of Ivory Coast was reported to be between $12 Million to $23 Million a year. Back in 2006, a report examining the Kimberly Process also reported that $23 Million in diamonds was being smuggled out of the Ivory… Continue reading Value of Illicit Diamond Trade in the Ivory Coast
Value of Gold Smuggled by Rebels out of Congo
Rebels with the March 23 Movement (M23) in the Democratic Republic of Congo smuggled 12 tons of gold worth $500 Million a year, according to US based NGO Enough Project. The gold is smuggled from illegal mines into neighboring Uganda and Burundi, where it is then sold to brokers in the United Arab Emirates. The… Continue reading Value of Gold Smuggled by Rebels out of Congo