{"id":52859,"date":"2024-02-23T15:15:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T15:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/illegal-mining-company-stealing-a-special-sand-in-brewerville-royceville"},"modified":"2024-02-23T15:30:47","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T15:30:47","slug":"illegal-mining-company-stealing-a-special-sand-in-brewerville-royceville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/illegal-mining-company-stealing-a-special-sand-in-brewerville-royceville","title":{"rendered":"Illegal Mining Company Stealing a Special Sand in Brewerville, Royceville"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. <\/strong><\/span>Quezp runs an illegal zircon sand mine in Brewerville, where it operates a plant. The DayLight\/Charles Gbayor<\/p>\n

BREWERVILLE; ROYCEVILLE \u2013 Quezp Mining Company, a Liberian-owned firm, has a pair of licenses for mines in Sinoe County. However, it operates two illegal mines in suburban and rural Montserrado, according to an investigation by The DayLight.<\/p>\n

Established in May 2022 by Terrance Collins, a Liberian businessman, Quezp acquired the two licenses to prospect for zircon sand in Kpanyan District, Sinoe, official records show.<\/p>\n

But the company established two other operations in Brewerville and Royceville without any licenses. Official records show that it does not have any active licenses other than the ones in Sinoe. There are no records of a Quezp license being under review, surrendered, suspended, canceled, or expired.<\/p>\n

Quezp has operated the illegal mines since February 2022, according to residents and people involved in the illicit operations. That was about three months before the company was established and more than a year before it obtained the licenses for Sinoe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am here most often with my pickup for transportation business and I see them pass here with the sand most often,\u201d said Saah Amara, a resident who transports building materials into Brewerville. \u201cWe want them to leave this place because they are not helping us at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mining without a license is an offense under the Minerals and Mining Law. Violators face a fine of up to US$2,000 and a 24-month maximum prison term, or both fine and imprisonment if convicted by a court.<\/p>\n

\u2018We mine black sand\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Quezp conducts the two operations as one. The company buys zircon sand from Royceville and transports the mineral to its mine and processing plant in Brewerville.<\/p>\n

Fifteen minutes from the VOA Junction, the Brewerville site is nearly surrounded by a huge, green mangrove and palm forest. It is several yards away from the ocean.<\/p>\n

Denied access to the site, The DayLight used a drone to sight the mine. The elevated view showed the royal blue plant enveloped by giant-sized piles of zircon sands. A forklift loaded a truck with 25-kilogram bags filled with the mineral, used in the ceramics industry. China and Australia are the biggest importers of zircon sand, with Africa an emerging market. Global trade is estimated to reach US$3.69 billion by 2029.<\/p>\n

Representatives of Quezp purchase zircon sand from residents in the rural Montserrado area for up to US$75 for a truckload, the residents said.<\/p>\n

Gus Doe Howe, Sr., a trucker who lives in that region, commonly called Tony, transfers the sand to a particular location.<\/p>\n

The records of the Ministry of Mines and Energy show that Quezp Mining Company does not have license for its operations in Brewerville and Royceville<\/p>\n

Afterward, the company transports it to Brewerville, processes and prepares the mineral for export, the residents said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a fisherman but I also do black sand mining for daily survival. The sand we mined has been sold at US$20 for a pickup load and US$75 for a truckload,\u201d Jacob Jackson, a Royceville resident told The DayLight in an interview at the mining site.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe mine black sand here and one guy named Tony comes here daily with his pickup to buy it and transport it,\u201d Justine Gayflor another RoyceVille resident. Black sand is the local name for zircon sand.<\/p>\n

The DayLight photographed about a dozen mounts of sand in an array on a Royceville beach. Large holes lined up nearby as the ocean gradually reclaimed the disturbed shoreline.<\/p>\n

Quezp Mining Company illegally operates on a beach in Royceville, Rural Montserrado. The DayLight\/Charles Gbayor<\/p>\n

Tony confirmed his involvement in the illegal activities in a phone interview. He had left the area four hours earlier when The DayLight arrived there, residents said. Tony, however, denied buying the mineral on behalf of Quezp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI, just go there with my pickup to transport the sand for them from the mining site and I take it to a point where the guys who buy from the company can get it,\u201d Tony said.<\/p>\n

Collins, Quezp\u2019s owner, is linked to other companies\u2014Wayful Mining Company Limited, Hauli Company Liberia Limited and Glorious Mining Company, to name some. They hold some of the 52 zircon sand licenses the Ministry of Mines and Energy issued from 2012 to last year, the records show.<\/p>\n

Collins declined an interview with The DayLight.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Liberia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. Quezp runs an illegal zircon sand mine in Brewerville, where it operates a plant. The DayLight\/Charles Gbayor BREWERVILLE; ROYCEVILLE \u2013 Quezp Mining Company, a Liberian-owned firm, has a pair of licenses for mines in Sinoe County. However, it operates two illegal mines in suburban and rural Montserrado, according to an investigation by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":52858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[233,237,234],"class_list":["post-52859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-liberia","tag-liberia"],"yoast_head":"\nIllegal Mining Company Stealing a Special Sand in Brewerville, Royceville - Liberia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Quezp runs an illegal zircon sand mine in Brewerville, where it operates a plant. 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