AMAPÁ, BRAZIL — The closure of illegal mining sites, the dismantling of an airstrip, the seizure of illegally transported timber and the issuing of fines in the states of Pará and Amapá were among the results of Operation Ágata Amazônia Oriental, according to a report released Friday (Aug. 21).

The operation took place from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7 along the border areas of the two states.

The task force brought together Brazil’s Army, Navy and Air Force (FAB), in cooperation with federal, state and municipal agencies. A total of 932 military personnel and 168 civilian agents took part in land, river and air patrols aimed at combating environmental and cross-border crimes.

In Amapá, inspectors and military personnel stopped more than 1,300 people, vehicles and boats. Along the BR-156 highway and at the Binational Bridge, on the border with French Guiana, checkpoints operated jointly with the Federal Highway Police (PRF), Federal Revenue Service and health authorities.

On rivers in Pará and Amapá, the Navy inspected 506 vessels, 77 of which were cited for navigation violations. One of the main incidents was recorded in Breves, Pará, where a barge was carrying nearly 2,500 cubic meters of timber without the required legal documentation.

The Pará State Secretariat for Environment and Sustainability (Semas) seized the cargo and issued a fine. Additional environmental violations were recorded in the municipality of Óbidos, Pará.

Amazon Agency