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Documents and cell phones of the farmers of Mato Grosso do Sul were seized by Operation Matáá, of the Federal Police, launched yesterday. The objective is to investigate the fires that are consuming the Pantanal, the largest humid biome in the world. Researchers see evidence of deliberate burning to create grasslands where native forest used to be.
“The fires started on farms in the region, in inhospitable spaces, within farms, where there is nothing nearby, which makes us understand that it cannot be an accident. Theoretically, someone went there for this (to set fire)” he said to Estadão. Representative Alan Givigi. “The fire in this case would be to burn native forest to make pastures. As it cannot be cleared, because it is a protected area, it catches fire and the pasture increases, without raising suspicions,” he added.
The investigation found that nearly 25,000 hectares of the nearly 815,000 hectares already ravaged by fire this year. As of early Monday night, four out of ten search and seizure warrants were officially carried out, two in the capital Campo Grande and two in Corumbá, where the actions are concentrated. The six remaining authorizations are in the rural area of Corumbá, on properties where satellite images have identified that the fire originated.
With the arrests, the investigators intend to deepen the investigations. The names of the farmers were not released. Suspects can be held responsible for crimes of damage to the permanent preservation forest (Art. 38, of Law No. 9.605 / 98), direct and indirect damage to Conservation Units (Art. 40, of Law No. 9.605 / 98), fire (Art. 41, of Law No. 9.605 / 98) and contamination (Art. 54, of Law No. 9.605 / 98).
During the investigation, in the urban area of one of the rural landowners in Corumbá, the Federal Police found and seized restricted-use weapons and ammunition. The peasant was arrested in flagrante delicto for illegal possession of a firearm. Two pistols, a revolver, 108 ammunition of the permitted caliber and 44 of restricted caliber were seized.
