A Brazilian court has seized the assets of eight individuals and five companies illegally exploring iron ore in the city of Nova Lima, Minas Gerais state, without proper licenses, the Brazilian Federal Police said this week.
The seizure follows a request from the Brazilian Federal Police, which has been investigating the case for a while.
Investigators said they found evidence of illegal iron ore activity in December 2019, they the police secured proof of illegal beneficiation of iron ore, including iron ore equipment. Police said the assets seized by the court totaled about BRL 43.2 million ($8 million).