Modern technology, especially phones and computers, contains small amounts of gold. As the source found out, the aforementioned companies received this precious metal from two factories – Italian Chimet and Brazilian Marsam. Brazilian police suspect they are involved in illegal mining on the land of the Kayapo indigenous people.

what is known

According to the publication, both factories are certified and considered “eligible” to sell their products in the US and Europe — regions that traditionally require ore suppliers to be transparent, in addition to stricter criteria for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and human rights abuses.

Brazilian investigative authorities have evidence that Chimet and Marsam received illegal gold.

• They seem to have turned their devices with the help of the Bonds and Securities Dealer (DTVM), a Brazilian entity authorized by the Central Bank to accompany transactions in financial markets, including the purchase of precious metals.
• Gold from underground mining or government-protected areas (these are the lands of indigenous peoples in Brazil) is legalized when DTVM purchases the product. The gold dealer fills out a paper invoice and independently indicates where the gold ore came from. That way, scammers can say it’s legitimate mining. even if it is not.
• Very difficult to verify and once made legal the metal can be sold to major processors, jewelers, banks, governments and some of the world’s most famous brands including Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon.

But Repórter Brasil reporters turned to Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon so far only the first has managed to take action: the company removed Marsam from its supplier list, but continued to work with Chimet.