One of the hints that resulted in the big operation was the caught of a foreign man arrested at São Paulo airport who was travelling with 64 bird eggs in his vest. He was also carrying some birds.

The police invaded houses that were used to kept the animals and found some rooms with weather control systems, used to keep the most valuable birds and their eggs.

Luciano Evaristo, Environmental Protection Director of IBAMA, went to one of the cities where the operation took place and declared that animal trafficking was suffering a great defeat and added: “The combat against this kind of crime must be done this way, in a big operation with intelligence and together with the Federal Police.”

According to Evaristo, “considering the number of people arrested and the fact that some international poaching leaders were deceased, this was the most important operation against fauna trafficking that took place in Brazil. And soon others will come.”

In the official communication of Paraná state Federal Police, that led the operation, “among the prisoners are public employees who had the duty of inspection and repression of crimes that have been being investigated.”

Dr. Pedro A Ynterian
President, GAP Project International