COSTA RICAN TIMES
Costa Rica News – Recent reports suggest illegal gold mining and the associated trafficking of mercury are increasing in Costa Rica, providing evidence that organized crime groups in the country may be diversifying their revenue streams as they increase in sophistication.
Twenty-five illegal extraction points have been identified recently in an area known as Cutris on Costa Rica’s northern border with Nicaragua, according to La Nación.
Cutris is home to an open-pit mine known as Las Crucitas, which was operated by a Canadian firm from 2006 until the concession was revoked in 2011 following changes in Costa Rica’s mining regulations. Now, La Nación reports, illegal miners have moved in to try to exploit the remaining gold reserves.
As with many illegal mining operations, the techniques used in Las
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