Brazilian Police Detain 4 Firefighters for Intentionally Setting Fires in Amazon - Reports
Brazilian police have detained four volunteer firefighters under suspicion of intentionally setting blazes in the Amazon rain forest to make money, Spanish media reported on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2019) Brazilian police have detained four volunteer firefighters under suspicion of intentionally setting blazes in the Amazon rain forest to make money, Spanish media reported on Wednesday.
The volunteers operated in the northern Amazonian state of Para, and some were part of organizations that allegedly started fires to stimulate donations, Brazilian police said, as cited by El Periodico.
The detainees reportedly tried to sell images of fires they had caused to the World Wildlife Fund, the newspaper said.
A number of NGOs have reportedly condemned the arrests as politically-motivated.
The fires in the Amazon rain forest in Brazil and neighboring countries gained international attention in August for their scale and destructiveness. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been blamed for encouraging the fires since they free up the land for farming and mining.