LIMA (Reuters) -Peruvian authorities have halted a shipment of about four metric tons of mercury headed to Bolivia for presumed use in illegal gold mining, they said on Thursday, the latest sign of rising black market activity to fulfill soaring demand for the precious metal.
The mercury had been passed off as a container of crushed rock, but Peru's customs agency SUNAT said an analysis revealed that the material had been laced with mercury, a toxic metal that is subject to strict environmental controls.
