For decades, cocaine defined organized crime across Latin America. “Illicit gold has become a low-risk, high-reward business,” Yansura told MINING.COM. Authorities say illicit gold now finances organized crime, fuels money laundering and is increasingly replacing cocaine as a key source of criminal revenue. Laundering goldUnlike cocaine, illegally mined gold can be integrated into legitimate supply chains, making it uniquely attractive to organized crime. Yansura said illicit gold is often laundered close to the mine using forged paperwork or false identities before entering legitimate markets.