Helicopter gunships circled menacingly overhead, just days before this Amazon blood mine was awash with men panning for gold feared destined for the UK.
But for its sheer remoteness, the police operation involving a two-hour boat ride from isolated Jacareacanga may have been more successful.
The logistical nightmares faced by those trying to shut these illegal “blood mines” removes the element of surprise.
It provides ample time for people to move their machinery and belongings until it is safe to re-emerge in deadly cat and mouse games on Indigenous lands.
Dozens of wildcat miners, known as garimpeiros, had earlier toiled away at the sandy gold-laden reserves of the Brazilian rainforest in the State of Para.
While the Mirror was there, federal police busted several mines polluting the waters, finding one so large it had a makeshift supermarket and church.
Activists say it is impossible the Amazon’s “blood gold” is not in Britain.
It is likely sold in bullion to the UK before finding its way around the necks and on the fingers of jewellery buyers.
Of the 174 tons of gold traded by Brazil from 2019 to 2020, almost a third is feared to have been illegally extracted.
Britain was its third-biggest buyer (29 tons) behind Canada and Switzerland.
Greenpeace activist Rômulo Batista said most of the Amazon’s problems stop at President Jair Bolsonaro’s door.
He told the Mirror: “He is an enemy of the Amazon and the face of the problem.
“He is against the Indigenous people. Without the Amazon, we will not win this fight against climate change.”
Mr Batista said at least 17% of bullion sold by Brazil is mined illegally.
He added: “People in the UK need to ask their government to ensure there are measures to prevent any such gold from entering the British market.
“Buyers of jewellery in Britain will be oblivious to the destruction caused to have that item of gold around their necks.”
It is estimated up to 20,000 miners are involved in the vast illegal trade but Mr Batista thinks it could be closer to 100,000.
Using satellite imaging, Greenpeace reported a fivefold increase in deforestation this year.
Now the Mirror has seen first-hand the devastation caused by the gouging garimpeiros, all supported by Bolsonaro.
The far-right leader, up for election in October, has repeatedly fought to legalise mining on Indigenous land.
Following talks, the Mirror was taken to one of the reserves. The trip began at Jacareacanga along the Topojas River before taking a tributary to the mine.
Once on land, signs of the hurriedness in which the wildcats moved out after being tipped off about the “Amazonian Caribbean” police swoop were apparent.
Toothbrushes, food, bedding and clothes were in place alongside tools.
Walking through the mine, signs of destruction were clear. Trees had been ripped down and deep cavities dug into the land. The spoils of their damage make millions of pounds for bosses.
One miner, who gave his name as Cleiton, felt no shame for his role.
He said: “It is the only means I and hundreds have of escaping poverty.
“People exaggerate how much damage is done. It’s nothing when you look at the Amazon. And why shouldn’t we live off our lands? Other countries do, but here we are made out to be evil.”
Fellow miner, Isaías, 53, agreed, adding he hoped Bolsonaro would be re-elected so he and thousands of others could remain working. As well as ecological harm, miners also bring alcohol, prostitution and diseases like malaria and Covid.
But even more alarming is the deadly pollution of mining.
Across the Amazon, miners pour litres of deadly mercury into the water’s ecosystem as they amalgamate the gold, while dredging has turned the “Blue River” brown.
A study revealed 306,000 locals in the municipality of Santarém had dangerously high levels of mercury in their blood from eating affected fish.
The illegal miners use mechanical shovels to knock down trees and dig pits as well as dredging barges that vacuum river beds, sucking up mud and water as they search for gold.
Hundreds of illegal gold reserves inside a protected area near the Munduruku sacred land are being torn apart at a rate not seen for 16 years. Ever since mine bosses acquired military geological maps created in the 1970s, they have sparked a recent gold rush.
A bone-shattering 300-mile truck journey from Jacareacanga town –made by the Mirror – lies Pará’s real gold powerhouse, Itaituba.
Brazil’s National Mining Agency said one hidden mine generated nearly £150million in revenue in just over a year for one company.
Officials granted the firm’s licence in the Nugget City after overruling state and federal legislation.
The town is very much of the opinion gold is good and to hell with the land and those who live on it. A three-day drive north of Itaituba lies Boa Vista, the state capital of Roraima.
There, local councillors, federal police and the military refuse to turn a blind eye to mining operations.
Nowhere in the state of Roraima is such gold exploration legal.
For the past year, police chief José Roberto Peres and his officers are taking the fight to the garimpeiros.
The federal police, backed by armed soldiers, have launched military-style operations to destroy the logistics of millionaire mining bosses.
But officers are frustrated by the punishment handed to those caught, often one year’s jail. And one judge has repeatedly handed back the planes captured by police to mining bosses.
But Chief Peres is undeterred. He tells us: “The Amazon is in our blood “We will do anything to protect it.
“People never think where the gold ore in jewellery comes from. Only when you become aware of the destruction caused by illegal extraction, do you look at it differently.”
In the UK, the National Association of Jewellers said members must uphold its code of conduct, adding responsible sourcing is a key goal.
It added: “Members are increasingly reporting how important provenance is, with manufacturers, designers and retailers championing schemes like Fairmined and Fairtrade when sourcing metals and materials.”
Bespoke jeweller Harriet Kelsall said: “Ethics has always been a priority for my business since it started and it used to be hard to find gold we were ethically confident about.
“However, these days it is very easy to ensure our gold comes from reliable sources. We urge consumers to consider where their gold comes from by asking their retailers.”
Gary Wroe, managing director of Hockley Mint, one of the UK’s largest Jewellery Manufacturers, added:
“Like other NAJ members, we buy from responsible sources.
“Every three years we will
go through an audit from the Responsible Jewellery Council, membership of which is essential for both us a company in order to continue to supply to customers.”
