Gold, once seen purely as a safe-haven asset protecting wealth in times of crisis, has in recent years become the center of a global illicit race — leaving behind environmental destruction, human rights abuses, and financing armed groups across continents.
Underground Mines… Lives Hanging by a Thread
In South Africa, life has returned to abandoned mines now controlled by armed gangs. Desperate workers, known locally as “zama-zamas”, descend into these shafts, risking death in pursuit of gold. The danger extends beyond natural underground hazards to violent clashes between rival gangs.
In the Andes of Peru, one of the country’s largest mines, Poderosa, has witnessed a string of bloody attacks, with dozens of miners killed over the past three years — a grim reminder of how gold has become fuel for deadly conflicts.
The Amazon: Gold Dipped in Mercury
Deep in the Amazon rainforest, the threat extends beyond miners to the environment and Indigenous communities. Illegal mining pollutes rivers with mercury, destroys ecosystems, and spreads diseases like malaria, alongside alcohol and drug abuse brought into isolated villages.
A Munduruku tribal leader warns: “When greedy mining arrives, it brings with it disease and division.”
Dirty Gold Polished in Global Hubs
Beyond borders, illegally mined gold is transformed into “legitimate” metal through global trading centers.
International reports point to the United Arab Emirates as a key hub, where illicit gold is refined and stamped with new certificates before being re-exported to major markets such as Switzerland and the UK. Watchdog groups have described this as “gold laundering”, enabled by weak oversight of global supply chains.
Fueling Armed Conflicts
Illicit gold trade often intersects with violent conflicts. In Colombia, the criminal group Clan del Golfo controls smuggling routes and funds its violent operations through gold.
In Sudan, gold has become a major source of funding for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accused of committing war crimes amid the ongoing conflict.
Governments Fighting the Impossible
Governments have tried to curb the phenomenon by tightening laws and increasing oversight, as Brazil has done recently. Yet, the scale of the problem and entrenched corruption networks make the battle nearly impossible.
Experts stress that any serious effort must go beyond mines to dismantle the trafficking and laundering networks that connect illicit producers to end consumers.
A Contaminated Safe Haven
The illicit gold rush is no longer confined to remote mines or local gangs. It has become part of the global economy itself: gold tainted with blood and mercury flowing into investment markets and luxury jewelry, raising a fundamental question:
How long can gold remain a “safe haven” when its true cost is paid in human lives and environmental damage?
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