Cops and loggers in the Amazon rainforest

Reuters Investigates

Cops and loggers in the Amazon rainforest

Friday, January 10, 2014 - 04:01

Armed agents from Brazil's environmental protection agency, backed by police and military units, have cracked down on illegal lumber mills in remote regions of the Amazon rainforest. Reuters correspondent Paulo Prada rode along with them.

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And with all of I'm a senior correspondent for Reuters a masonry -- there's an Arab. -- company data from Bennett of humanity bomber which is essentially to Brazil's environmental. Enforcement agency for a series of raids on. Illegal logging operations and illegal file mills. Up in the state upon us. Which of the huge state. In the Amazon region of Brazil. The reds were very much say cops and robbers operation the army showed up one night before began setting up. Okay a temporary base from which the environmental authorities could operate -- the next day the environmental authorities came in in a convoy of six pick -- trucks and they're supported by local police that they came in very much within an element of surprise. And the sawmills worms. Basically. Operating up until they saw the army arrives. The idea was to go and it's the things down account has -- him that they -- and underground thing. Some of them had left by the time the -- got to be a -- themselves but the machinery was still there. Some of Middle East. And it was very patently obvious what had been going on. And in the weeks that follow they were able to confiscate a lot of the scenery -- most of the timber that was there when the operation began. And to find a lot of sawmill operators track down some of those who disappeared and deliver our property harsh blow against those that were operating in this town and all around. -- what -- -- the phone operators who were caught it's not that easy did take them was straight away to jail. That in the month long operation. Today lebed almost two million dollars for the bonds like one point seven million dollars of bonds. If these two million dollars worth of illegal lumber they're they're able to go and and these -- the machinery. Or find them enough. To make there. Livelihood impossible then that's one way making -- stop. Good thing bad thing thing. And Douglas Kennedy. People people. I've worked up but if you -- double -- he. The -- that he Obama conducted. In September and October. Where all fit around a small town called a no less -- down that PDI. And that is the town in the northeastern corner of -- But I think huge huge state it's mostly Amazon rainforest. Much of the rainforest is. Big vast open and lawless frontier. And this town was very much that it's like a wild west down. Where the economy is pretty much limited to illegal logging activity and the trickle of government money that comes in from the federal. And state authorities that offensively provide from social welfare benefits for -- for the people there when these agents came into the town. That you would -- thought it was the other apocalypse and there are men. Crying because their livelihood they were very much alarmed and are worried about what they were going to do to put food on the table. Lloyd. That that don't fit our budget that. She -- don't. You have a good. Broke off. Big on the reds is really interesting because you got a -- of the real cat and mouse. Game that this is obviously with -- really dramatic consequences. But you also. Just you understand that. It's all gonna keep happening. While they authorities are not there when the authorities show up they set it down and well twenty miles down the road can be happening in another town with very similar. The Amazon is the -- western Europe's there's no way to police call an entirely all the time.

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