Greenpeace uncovers an
illegal logging operation in the Amazon. Brazilian
Federal Police have launched a crack down
on illegal logging operations in one part
of the Amazon.
06/06/2005 — The Brazilian Federal Police
have dismantled a gang responsible for illegal
logging in the State of Mato Grosso for 14
years. 89 arrest warrants were issued - including
for corrupt Brazilian Environmental Agency
(IBAMA) agents and loggers, who were responsible
for the illegal logging of enough timber to
fill 76,000 trucks.
During the investigations, 283 Forest Management
Plans were suspended and another 36 were cancelled
indefinitely. Also, 431 "ghost logging
companies" were exposed all over the
Mato Grosso State. The operation also exposed
false ATPFs (Authorization of Forest Products
Transport), which are a way of "laundering"
authorisations in order to use them again.
The operation involved 450 Federal Police
agents and 31 IBAMA agents and is the largest
ever carried out by the Federal Police in
the Brazilian Amazon.
Our Amazon Campaign Coordinator, Paulo Adario
said, "It is important to stress that
the arrests of loggers and IBAMA agents today
in Mato Grosso are not isolated cases. The
Federal Police and IBAMA should extend this
kind of investigation to other Amazon States,
such as Para and Rondonia, where deforestation
and illegal logging are rampant. Also, the
federal agencies such as IBAMA, Federal Police
and INCRA (the National Institute of Colonisation
and Land Reform) need to be strengthened and
prepared to fight illegal logging, land grabbing,
deforestation and crimes against human rights."
More good news for the Amazon
On another positive note, in a major move
toward Amazon forest protection, the governor
and the major of São Paulo have announced
their aim to join Greenpeace's Amazon Friendly
City Campaign. On World Environment Day the
State Governor of São Paulo, Geraldo
Alckmin, and the Mayor of São Paulo,
José Serra, made an important contribution
to protect the Amazon. Both governments formally
joined our "Amazon Friendly City"
campaign - effectively closing the door to
illegal timber. They also issued a decree
demanding suppliers to present evidence of
the legal origin of the timber on all public
purchases.
Rebeca Lerer, our Amazon campaigner, said,
"After a run of bad news such as the
murder of Sister Dorothy Stang and the high
levels of Amazon deforestation, we finally
have something to celebrate. São Paulo
is the world's largest consumer of Amazon
timber. Today's decision will close the door
to illegal timber and will oblige suppliers
to comply with the new environmental standards.
Those who work illegally have just lost a
great slice of the market."
