The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, through the General Inspectorate, seized 750 tons of fluorite in Sofala province, central Mozambique. The mineral, which had been mined illegally in Sofala, Manica and Tete, was being prepared for export.

According to the Inspector General of MIREME, Grácio Cune, the product, valued at around 5 million meticais, will later be put up for public auction, after technical and laboratory evaluations to determine its quality and chemical composition.

Quoted by Evidence newspaperThe source added that the operation was part of a series of actions coordinated by MIREME to discourage illegal mining practices throughout the country. "MIREME has stepped up its enforcement actions to combat illegal mining, despite the challenges posed by the vandalization of checkpoints and the clandestine circulation of minerals," he said.

Fluorite has multiple applications in industry - steel, aluminum, magnesium - and therapeutic value.

(Photo DR)