Brazilian authorities have confiscated the equivalent of 5,000 truckloads of illegally cut timber in the Amazon rainforest as part of the newly launched Operação Maravalha in Amazonas, Pará, and Rondônia. The operation, led by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) , aims to curb illegal logging in protected areas and indigenous lands and is set to be the largest of its kind in over five years.
During the first two weeks of raids, IBAMA shut down nearly a dozen sawmills and issued fines totaling 15.5 million reais (about Euro 2.5 million). Authorities are also investigating companies suspected of using falsified documents to disguise the true origin of the timber. Some projects linked to illegally harvested wood are expected to be suspended.
Officials warn that illegal logging is often the first step in large-scale deforestation, as cleared areas are later converted into cattle pastures. While most of the illegally harvested timber remains in Brazil, a portion reaches the United States and Europe. The seized timber includes species highly valued in global markets, such as the endangered ipê.
Under President Lula da Silva, deforestation in the Amazon fell to its lowest level in nearly a decade in 2023. However, environmental experts caution that illegal logging and fires continue to threaten the rainforest’s future. The timber confiscated in Operação Maravalha will be donated to government agencies and conservation projects.
