50 hectares of fertile soil and over 700 trees destroyed: amber mining scheme exposed in Rivne region. PHOTOS
A large-scale illegal amber mining operation has been uncovered in the Rivne region.
This was reported by the National Police, according to Censor.NET.
Details
The illegal extraction of amber took place under the guise of geological exploration of the subsoil in the Rivne region.
"It has been preliminarily established that as a result of the illegal extraction of amber across an area of approximately 50 hectares, the fertile soil layer has been completely destroyed, along with over 700 trees of various species. Law enforcement officers are currently identifying all individuals involved in organising and operating the scheme," the statement reads.
Law enforcement officers established that, in accordance with the permits obtained, the subsoil users were supposed to conduct geological surveys of amber-bearing sites and exploratory work in these areas. To this end, they were granted temporary use of land within forest areas. However, instead, the operators carried out illegal industrial extraction of amber for subsequent sale.
Instead of the boreholes specified in the project documentation, the sites were being used with homemade motor pumps and soil hydro-washing technology.
"Under this method, powerful jets of water were used to wash away the amber-bearing layer of soil, the so-called 'blue earth', after which the stones could be extracted from the surface. This method of extraction is considered one of the most destructive to the environment, as it leads to the complete destruction of the fertile soil layer, damage to forest plantations and changes to the natural terrain," the police said.
The so-called "amber buyers" also played a key role in the scheme, disregarding the lack of documentation regarding the legal origin of the stones. They purchased amber for export abroad through established channels.
In addition, there were indications that actual extraction volumes had been underreported in the documentation. This could have led to significant losses to the budget due to non-payment of mandatory fees for subsoil use.
On 9 June, 47 searches were carried out in the Rivne region.
"As a result, over 52 kilograms of amber were seized, along with 26 motor pumps used for the illegal hydraulic extraction of the precious stone, 256 components for these pumps, equipment for processing and cleaning amber, two vehicles, financial and business documentation, geological maps, mobile phones, rough notes and over $29,000 in cash.
Furthermore, during inspections of land plots totalling approximately 50 hectares, law enforcement officers documented the complete destruction of the fertile soil layer and over 700 trees of various species. ‘Soil samples were taken by specialists for further analysis,’ the law enforcement officers added.
Investigations are ongoing to identify all those involved in the illegal extraction and subsequent sale of amber, as well as to determine the extent of the damage caused to the environment and the state.
