Nearly 30% of Brazil's gold exports are illegal, report says

FILE PHOTO: An illegal gold mine is seen during Brazil’s environmental agency operation against illegal gold mining on indigenous land, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, in Roraima state, Brazil April 17, 2016. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/File Photo

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Roughly 28% of Brazilian gold exports in 2019 and 2020 likely came from illegal mines, a report by public prosecutors and the Federal University of Minas Gerais found, pointing to widespread forging of documents and lack of effective law enforcement.

The report from federal prosecutors and the Federal University of Minas Gerais found indications of illegality related to 48.9 tonnes of gold in the two-year period.