A special operation carried out by personnel of the Ministry of Environment (MINAE) through the Units of Control of the Corcovado National Park, the Environmental Operation Group of the National System of Areas of Conservation (GOA) and the Frontier Police, concluded with the arrest of 12 people who were carrying out illegal activities in the Park such as extraction of gold, illegal hunting and invasion.

The 12 people detained belong to organized groups that are dedicated to the extraction of gold, extraction of sea turtle eggs and illegal hunting of mammals and birds within the National Park; the detentions took place near the Sirena River, in the basin of Pavo River and La Llorona sector.

Authorities found that an area of close to one hectare had been washed off with the use of pressure pumps. The illegal activities cause serious environmental damages such as erosion of the local rivers, contamination and destruction of trees in the areas where they extract gold.

The Corcovado National Park is one of the most challenging areas in the country when it comes to the protection of wildlife, its remote distance, difficult access and big extension complicates surveillance.

Corcovado is among the top 10 best National Parks in the World today according to Discovery Corporation, this is thanks to its biodiversity; Corcovado is home to 2.5% of the biodiversity of the planet, however, it has suffered the intrusion of hunters and gold miners for decades.

Through August this year 15 people have been detained in Corcovado in relation to these types of illegal activities that go against the Mining Code, Forest Law and Law of Wildlife Conservation.