Inspectors from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) in the city of Santarém, state of Pará caught the MG Araguaia Lumber Company, Industry, Commerce, and Agriculture, S.A., red-handed.
They were caught in the act of transporting over 1,200 cubic meters of hardwood logs in two rafts along the Jarauçu River, in the state of Pará, in northern Brazil, without authorization.
The wood, which consists of four species (Brazilian copal, tigerwood, Brazilian redwood, and angelim), was removed from the Resex Evergreen Forest Reserve.
According to the head of Ibama’s Santarém inspection unit, Manoel Costa, the wood was illegally extracted from the Resex reserve and acquired by the MG company from third parties.
According to the executive manager of Ibama in Pará, Marcílio Monteiro, the Resex reserve, which contains 1.3 million hectares, has aroused the greed of lumberers in the region.
The rafts and the wood will be taken to the port of Santarém under Military Police escort.
There the amount of the fine that will be levied on the lawbreakers will be determined in accordance with the Environmental Crimes Law.
The hardwood that was apprehended will remain under Ibama’s care until the courts decide its final destination.
ABr