Major US financial services firm StoneX has reportedly purchased millions of dollars worth of gold from a company allegedly connected to illegal mining operations in the Amazon rainforest, as revealed by investigative reports from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Repórter Brasil.
Documents suggest that a Brazilian supplier for StoneX sources gold from a network of informal miners, some of whom have been sanctioned by Brazil’s environmental agency. The Amazon, a vital shield against climate breakdown, has seen a surge in unregulated "wildcat" mining due to soaring gold prices, driven by global economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions.
Click through the gallery to find out more about the shadowy supply chain of metal trade.