In Cutris, San Carlos, near Costa Rica’s northern border with Nicaragua, police arrested several men for allegedly panning for gold and using dangerous chemicals, said the Ministry of Public Security yesterday.

Police are now asking for assistance from environmental organizations and the local community to aid them in restoring the area by helping remove trash and debris left by the gold panners.

The exact location of the panning is Crucitas, the infamous site of a planned gold mine by Canadian Company Infinito Gold that was rejected in 2014 due to environmental concerns.

The gold panners were interviewed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of San Carlos, and were then sent to the San Carlos Criminal Court where a judge issued a restraining order saying the men were not allowed in the Crucitas area while the case is under investigation.

The men appear to have released mercury and other contaminants into the environment. The river where they panned for gold and surrounding area contain underwater springs that may have suffered mercury contamination, a heavy metal which is a very serious pollutant.

Alexis Núñez, head of police in the county of Los Chiles, where the Crucitas site is located, said four men, two surnamed Gutiérrez, and others by the last names of Rodriguez and Muñoz were arrested.

The detainees, who are residents of Abangares, were caught while panning for gold in a stream, said Nuñez.

Police seized their tools which included pick-axes, buckets for sedimentation extraction, and an “amalgam” bucket, which is where gold-laced sediment and sludge are mixed with mercury to separate out the precious metal.

The police chief explained that the region is largely under environmental protection and consists of primary forests with endangered species of trees, birds – including the green macaw, and other animals.