Brazilian police have seized more than 10,000m³ of lumber after raiding eight illegal sawmills in the state of Para.
Around 140 officers took part in the raids, which were described as “one of the biggest operations ever against sawmills” by the Brazilian ministry of the environment’s enforcement agency, IBAMA.
More than 3,000km² of Brazilian rainforest disappeared between August and December 2007 according to official figures, which John Paul Capobianco, executive-secretary at the Brazilian environment ministry, described as “a behaviour completely new and very worrying”.
