Suspect in case of missing journalist and indigenous expert arrested

41-year-old man will be taken into custody hearing

Published on 15/06/2022 - 12:36 By Pedro Rafael Vilela - Repórter da Agência Brasil - Brasília

Brazil Federal Police reported on Tuesday night (Jun. 14) that it arrested the second suspect in the investigation of the disappearance of British journalist Dom Phillips, and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira in Vale do Javari, in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, also known as "Dos Santos," aged 41, is under temporary arrest on suspicion he was involved in the case with his brother Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, who was arrested last week, the federal police said. He will be taken to a custody hearing at the Court of Atalaia do Norte (AM), which may decide to keep him in prison.

The Federal Police, which is in charge of the security forces in the so-called Javari Operation, reported the fulfillment of two search and seizure warrants issued by the Justice on Tuesday. Firearm cartridges and an oar have been seized and will be analyzed.

Last Sunday (12), firefighters involved in the operation found personal items belonging to both men. The items reported were: a healthcare card, black pants, a black slipper, and a pair of boots belonging to Bruno Pereira, as well as a pair of boots, and a backpack belonging to Dom Philips, with personal clothes in it.

On Friday (10), the police reported that search teams had found organic material - “apparently human”, in an area close to the port of Atalaia do Norte. There is still no information on whether the sample collected has anything to do with the disappearance of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira.

Disappearance

Phillips, a contributor to UK daily The Guardian, and Pereira, an official of Brazil’s national indigenous foundation FUNAI on leave, were last seen Sunday morning (5), in the region of the Vale do Javari indigenous reserve, Brazil’s second-largest, with over 8.5 million hectares. They were going from the riverside community of São Rafael to the town of Atalaia do Norte, when they disappeared without a trace.

Bruno Pereira had stated he had received threats in the region, the police superintendent confirmed, adding an investigation on it had been started. Pereira had recently been working as a collaborator for the Union of Indigenous Organizations of Vale do Javari (UNIVAJA), run by local indigenous people themselves. 

Translation: Mário Nunes -  Edition: Fábio Massalli

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