by Allanah Leahy – EM TV Online
Authorities in Brazil have arrested a man who had allegedly been deforesting the Amazon forest to sell land plots to ranchers in the Amazonian region.
Ezequiel Antonio Castanha was taken into police custody after a joint operation carried out by the Brazil Federal Police and National Security Force in the Amazonian town of Novo Progresso.
Federal Police Deputy Olavo Pimentel said:
“Ezequiel, like the others who are being investigated, is accused of invading public lands, what is called land-grabbing, in addition to environmental crimes and falsifying documents among other offences.”
Castanha is said to have led ‘the largest yet’ gang that specialises in deforesting the Amazon and is accused of illegally destroying tens of thousands of square kilometres of Amazon Forest.
The Brazil Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources blamed Castanha’s gang for illegally deforesting 20 per cent of the Amazon forest in recent years. Damages caused are estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Castanha is facing money laundering and illegal deforestation charges and potentially faces up to 46 years in prison.
