Brazil police fight illegal logging on indigenous land
Brazil’s Federal Police has launched an operation to fight the illegal logging activities in indigenous territory Cana Brava, in the municipality of Barra do Corda, in Maranhão state, Northeast Brazil. The crackdown was launched today (Aug 3) as agents serve 22 search and seizure warrants and seven orders for the suspension of economic activity.
The crime was reported to feed a chain of illegal sawmills, furniture factories, and warehouses. Several establishments handle material with no documented source, the authorities stated.
Over the course of one year, 177 deforestation alerts were reported in Cana Brava alone. The sawmills and furniture factories under scrutiny are located approximately 40km from the indigenous territory, “which shows that it is economically feasible for them to carry out illegal logging activities in a protected area,” the police said.
“The lapse of time examined for the area shows the practice has lasted several years, causing considerable impact and damage to the environment and the ecological balance,” agents went on to point out.
Illegal deforestation and the trespassing of indigenous reserves are said to aggravate conflicts with indigenous people in the region.
Law
The individuals brought under investigation may be charged with receiving goods known to stem from illicit activities, storing unlicensed products of vegetable origin, and operating potentially polluting establishments without a permit. Sentences may add up to nine years in jail.
Dubbed Pterodon, the operation mobilized 110 federal police agents and environmental officials. The crackdown was named after one of the most valuable trees in Cana Brava, locally known as sucupira.
