One arrested for illegal gold mining in central Mozambique

The National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) of the Mozambique Police announced this Wednesday the arrest of a Pakistani citizen for illegally mining and selling gold in the center of the country.

The man was arrested after he bought half a kilogram of gold from citizens of the country, which, according to police, he intended to take out of the country, said Alfeu Site, a spokesman for Sernik in Sofala province.

“Since he did not have a license, since he did not have title documents for the extraction and sale of this ore, he was immediately arrested and taken to a cell, and a corresponding file was opened against him for presentation to the investigating judge.” he added.

Police say efforts are underway to find another person, a foreigner who the detainee claims is an accountant for a company in Mozambique.

According to the source, this is the first such case registered this year, in which foreigners are involved in the commission of crimes for the illegal purchase and sale of minerals, in this case gold.

Mozambique’s gold production increased by 53% in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2022 to 346.3 kg, according to Mozambican government official data released this month by Lusa.

According to the economic and social balance of state budget execution from January to March 2023, this production is 26% of the total expected this year, which is almost 1342 kg, and is comparable to 226 kg of gold produced in Mozambique in the first quarter of 2022 .

These results are the result, according to the document, of “increased control over artisanal mining” given the “good performance of mining companies”, “continuous exploration of hard rock deposits” and the introduction of a new processing plant. and the resumption of exploration work in the province of Manica.