June 15, 2022

08:06

Iury Lima – Amazon Agency

VILHENA (RO) – An operation against deforestation in the Soldado da Borracha Ecological Station (Esec), in Rondônia, targets a criminal group that has already deforested almost 9 thousand soccer fields inside the reserve and generated losses estimated in R$ 345 million. 

The action against environmental crime is called Operation Arigós and occurs this Tuesday, 14, with the aim of investigating and combating the felling of native forest in the Esec, which covers a territory of almost 180 thousand hectares, between the municipalities of Porto Velho – the state capital – and Cujubim, in the countryside, as informed to AMAZON AGENCY the Public Ministry of the State of Rondonia (MPRO). 

In addition to the MP, five other institutions are participating: Police Station for Repression of Crimes against the Environment (DERCCMA), Environmental Policing Battalion (BPA), State Secretariat of Environmental Development (Sedam), Air Operations Center of the State Secretariat of Security, Defense and Citizenship (NOA) and Special Operations Battalion of the Military Police (Bope). 

The operation

The action to combat irregularities within the protected area aims to fulfill, still on Tuesday, 14, five search and seizure warrants in urban and rural areas of the two municipalities embraced by the forest area. 

According to the MPRO, the Conservation Unit “has as its sole and exclusive purpose the preservation of nature and the conduct of scientific research”, but, contrary to this, has been suffering from a large swath of deforestation.

The agency estimates that the wound opened in more than 9.6 thousand hectares, or something close to 9 thousand soccer fields, with the illegal felling of trees and vegetation in general, is equivalent to the amount of R$ 345 million in damages to the ecosystem. Therefore, the Arigós operation should verify this calculation, in addition to “identifying the real mentors and beneficiaries” of the network of environmental degradation in the region. 

The Public Ministry also points out that the scheme is commanded from a distance, through the intermediation of third parties to build “a kind of shield against criminal, civil and administrative responsibilities”, it said in a statement.

No response

The maintenance of the Ecological Station, created in 2018, is up to the government of Rondônia, which has promoted the reduction of reserve areas and has been negligent in situations of conflict, invasion, squatting, and various other types of environmental crimes.

AMAZON AGENCY asked the management about the mapping of irregularities in the region and if, despite having deployed police forces in this operation, what were the previous actions to curb the growth of crime within the unit. However, until the closing of this report, the government of Rondônia had not manifested itself.