A man was arrested on suspicion of being part of a criminal network involved in the national and international trafficking of golden lion tamarins in the city of Cabo Frio (RJ), on the morning of this Thursday (19). He is being investigated for offering these animals to the criminal group.
The arrest was a result of Operation Cifra Dourada, by the Federal Police (PF), which aimed to dismantle the criminal gang specialized in the national and international trafficking of endangered wild animals from the Brazilian fauna.
In addition to the arrest, during the search and seizure warrant, issued by the 2nd Federal Court of Niterói/RJ, the agents seized monkey hunting traps.
Around 17 golden lion tamarins and 12 Lear’s macaws, victims of international trafficking, were repatriated by the Federal Police in Operation Akpé in February of this year. The animals, which are threatened with extinction in Brazil, were in Togo, West Africa.
Other animals were also recovered and seized in the city of Porto Velho (RO) by the Federal Highway Police last August. Of the 11 animals collected, eight were golden lion tamarins.
The suspect, who was taken to the Environmental Police Station (DMA), was arrested for the crimes of professional hunting of wild animals, mistreatment and the use of a false ring. He will also be charged with the crimes of qualified receiving of stolen goods and endangering the life or health of others.
Investigations
Through an integrated action between the PF, the Rio de Janeiro Primatology Center, ICMBio, IBAMA and the Golden Lion Tamarin Association, the geographical order of some of the seized animals was tracked.
In this tracking, it was identified that at least seven of these golden lion tamarins found, three in Togo and four in the capital of Rondônia, came from the Golden Lion Tamarin Municipal Natural Park, in Cabo Frio (RJ).
Expertise
A Federal Criminal Investigation will be carried out by the Federal Police to estimate which specimens had been recently removed from the wild, which had been in captivity for a few months, and which had been in captivity for more than a year. Biological material was collected from the animals to conduct further examinations.
This content was originally published in PF conducts operation against group involved in international animal trafficking on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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