Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Earth Science News .




WOOD PILE
Brazil arrests 8 in Amazon deforestation swoop
by Staff Writers
Sao Paulo (AFP) Aug 28, 2014


Brazilian police said Thursday they had made eight arrests in raids to smash a gang considered the worst perpetrators of deforestation in the Amazon region.

"Eight arrests have been made so far. Police are searching for a further six (suspects) considered to be on the run," a police spokesman in the Amazonian state of Para told AFP.

The gang would invade public land in northern Para state, burn down forest, divided the land into parcels and sell them, raking in millions of dollars in the process, according to federal police who moved in on the gang Wednesday.

According to the Brazilian Environmental Institute, the group has carried out environmental crimes valued at $230 million, making them "the greatest destroyers of the Brazilian Amazon currently active."

Para authorities say the state has suffered some 15,500 hectares (38,300 acres) of deforestation, with the state prosecutor's office estimating that the area where the gang was operating accounts for about 10 percent of the total.

The institute said Wednesday the gang members should be charged with invading public land, environmental crimes, forgery, criminal association and money laundering.

Police say they have also issued warrants for further arrests in the states of Sao Paulo, Parana and Mato Grosso.

If convicted, the suspects face more than 50 years in prison, as could firms or individuals who did business with them.

Deforestation in Brazil hit a peak of 27,000 square kilometers (10,425 square miles) in 2004 but fell in 2010 to a low of 4,571 square kilometers (1,765 square miles).

Last year, the government said deforestation in the northern Amazonia region had reached 5,843 square kilometers (2,256 square miles), a 28 percent rise over the previous year.

.


Related Links
Forestry News - Global and Local News, Science and Application






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








WOOD PILE
Brazil cracks 'biggest' Amazon deforestation gang
Sao Paulo (AFP) Aug 28, 2014
Police in Brazil have broken up an Amazon deforestation gang considered the worst currently active, officials said Wednesday. The gang would invade public land in northern Para state, burn down forest, divided the land into parcels and sell them, federal police said in a statement. The group is responsible for environmental crimes to the tune of $230 million, said the Brazilian Environme ... read more


WOOD PILE
China landslide kills seven: report

Japan gov't calls on citizens to stockpile toilet paper

Heavy equipment falls into Fukushima reactor pool: TEPCO

Japan landslides death toll hits 70 one week on

WOOD PILE
Experiments explain why some liquids are 'fragile' and others are 'strong'

The fluorescent fingerprint of plastics

Atoms to Product: Aiming to Make Nanoscale Benefits Life-sized

Yale's cool molecules

WOOD PILE
Sunblock poses potential hazard to sea life

Panasonic, Tata join hands in water treatment: report

Reducing water scarcity possible by 2050

Not all phytoplankton in the ocean need to take their vitamins

WOOD PILE
Antarctic sea-level rising faster than global rate

Sunlight, not microbes, key to CO2 in Arctic

Arctic sea ice influenced force of the Gulf Stream

Waterloo makes public most complete Antarctic map for climate research

WOOD PILE
New study charts the global invasion of crop pests

Water 'thermostat' could help engineer drought-resistant crops

How to prevent organic food fraud

Locust plague descends on Madagascar capital

WOOD PILE
Yellowstone supereruption would send ash across North America

Dramatic Papua New Guinea volcano quietens

New signs of eruption at Iceland volcano

Hurricane Cristobal kills four, churns towards Bermuda

WOOD PILE
'SwaziLeaks' looks to shake up jet-setting monarchy

Nigeria launches national identity card scheme

China's Xi hails Mugabe as renowned leader, old friend

Wildlife 'WikiLeaks' targets Africa poaching elite

WOOD PILE
DNA shows Arctic group's isolation lasted 4,000 years

The roots of human altruism

SA's Taung Child's skull and brain not human-like in expansion

Stone-tipped spears lethal, may indicate early cognitive and social skills




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.