Federal Police investigate deforestation on Indigenous land
The Brazilian Federal Police is investigating illegal deforestation on the Menkragnoti Indigenous land, near Kotori village, in the municipality of Peixoto de Azevedo, in the state of Mato Grosso.
Search and seizure warrants were carried out on Tuesday (April 12) in three cities in Mato Grosso and in one in Goiás.
“The warrants focus on possible participants in the crimes, including loggers and an indigenous leader. They can be accused of environmental crimes of deforestation, impediment of investigation by the Public Power, and criminal conspiracy among other crimes. The sentences can reach up to four years of imprisonment,” a Federal Police note reads.
Background
The Federal police informed the investigation began in February 2022 after a complaint of illegal logging on the indigenous land, received by the National Indian Foundation (Funai) in Cuiabá. According to the complaint, near the Indian village, there were about 2 thousand cubic meters of wood ready to be removed, and loggers from Peixoto de Azevedo would have bribed Kororoti indigenous leaders by offering about BRL 70 thousand ($ 15 thousand dollars) to remove the wood.
Based on the complaint, in the same month, a joint action was carried out by the Federal Police, the Environment Department (Sema), the Brazilian Institute for Environment and Natural Resources (Ibama), and the Environment Police Station (Dema). After a helicopter overflight deforestation and the existence of cut wood have been confirmed. During the action weapons and vehicles have been seized by Ibama on the Indigenous land and its surroundings.
