Reports say that the Ecuadorian government has proclaimed that illegal mining is a national security threat to the country, due to its connections with money laundering and arms trafficking.

As outlined by Reuters, the Ecuadorian government also said that it would take measures to combat the illegal mining.

Security Secretary Diego Ordonez said that the government will support international companies which have legal concessions and the country’s armed forces will help to control areas with security threats.

The government has also said that it will change mining regulations to improve records and help to assist with more state supervision.