Between 2021 and 2025, at least 503.26 kilograms of illegal gold were seized by the Federal Highway Police (PRF) in Brazil, with the state of Roraima showing the highest recent volumes of confiscated gold, amounting to 187.26 kg. The state saw its seizures surge dramatically from just 1.3 kg in 2023 to 22.27 kg in 2024, and in 2025 alone, the PRF intercepted an unprecedented 163.69 kg of gold, surpassing the total annual seizures from the previous four years combined. This sharp increase in seizures in Roraima was influenced by a significant operation in December when 103 kg of gold bars were discovered with a businessman in Boa Vista.

The ongoing rise in illegal gold confiscations raises concerns about the broader implications of gold mining and trafficking in Brazil, especially in regions like Roraima. The collected data reflects only seizures documented by the PRF and does not account for operations conducted by other law enforcement agencies. The g1 news outlet requested comprehensive figures from the Federal Police (PF) for the last five years but has yet to receive a response, leaving room for the possibility that the actual number of illegal gold seizures could be even higher.

Marcus Vinicius de Almeida, the Director of Operations at the PRF, has pointed out that the continuous efforts to curb illegal mining activities and trafficking are essential not only for environmental protection but also for combating organized crime associated with these practices. The alarming trend in gold seizures indicates a critical area of focus for Brazilian authorities as they work to regulate the country’s lucrative but illicit gold trade.