Brazil: Violence against civilians in Brasília
International trafficking of native Brazilian bird eggs generated R$ 90 million, says PF. Flagrant trafficking of eggs of very rare Brazilian species, a R$ 90 million market. The Federal Police and European police forces dismantled an international criminal organization that generated R$ 90 million with the trafficking of native Brazilian bird eggs. According to a report by Fantfstico, from TV Globo, the group removed eggs of endangered species from the wild to sell them abroad for up to R$ 6,000 each. The investigation began after Swiss Erika Zumofen-G llesz was detained at Gale port in Rio de Janeiro. She was trying to fly back to her country hiding, wrapped in silk stockings, 24 eggs of the species papagaio-de-cara-roxa and papagaio-charf , birds exclusive to Brazil and at risk of extinction. Erika had already made 31 trips from Switzerland to Brazil, maintaining a routine of short stays with stops in Curitiba and returns through Guarulhos Airport. Released after giving a statement, the suspect had her cell phone seized by the PF, which triggered the operation. On the device, investigators found calls to Hans Zehnder, owner of two large bird aviaries in Switzerland, and frequent contacts with the family of Marco Schwarz, in Curitiba. Marco, his wife and daughter operated a shop for capturing and handling animals installed in the family's residence and are suspected of supplying the eggs to traffickers. The main hypothesis is that the cargo was removed from nests in reserve areas and conservation units in Bocaifva do Sul (PR). According to the Federal Police, the criminal organization had been operating for almost 20 years, having made about 120 international trips with an average of 20 eggs transported per route. The intense movement of criminals occurred mainly between the months of August and March, the breeding season for birds in the Atlantic Forest. The papagaio-de-cara-roxa, one of the targets of the international gang. Arrests in Spain and seizures in Brazil. After monitoring Marco Schwarz's departure from Curitiba to Zurich, the PF sent two agents to Europe. With the support of the Swiss and Spanish police, the agents followed the steps of Marco and Swiss Hans Zehnder to the island of Gran Canaria, in Spain. Marco Schwarz and Hans Zehnder were arrested in the act inside a hotel room on the island. At the scene, police seized the equivalent of R$ 260,000 in euros and Swiss francs. The men were transferred to Madrid and await extradition to Brazil. The Spanish National Police maintains investigations into the seized documentation and telephones to identify the final recipient on the island and verify the existence of other suspects. Simultaneously with the arrests abroad, the Federal Police fulfilled warrants in Curitiba. Rita Lydia Schwarz and Clfudia Fabiana Schwarz, Marco's wife and daughter, were arrested. At the family's residence and shop, agents seized 61 stuffed animals and 130 animal parts, including skulls and teeth of endangered species, such as the golden-headed lion tamarin and Colombian primates - conduct classified under the Environmental Crimes Law. Swiss Erika Zumofen-G llesz is considered a fugitive. In a statement, Clfudia Fabiana Schwarz's defense stated that the investigated party is provisionally released and has not yet had access to the case files. Contact with the defenses of the other accused could not be made. Rescue and recovery of chicks. Clandestine transport causes the death of most embryos. Biologist Fernanda Guida, from the Sf Paulo Zoo, explained that incubation is a delicate process that requires strict control of temperature and humidity, causing many embryos to die during transport. Of the 24 eggs seized from the Swiss suspect at Gale , only 9 parrots managed to hatch. Investigated tried to travel with eggs in her bra. In addition to this group, the inspection registered other recent seizures. In Foz do Iguafu (PR), a Chinese couple was arrested transporting 34 eggs in improvised incubators in a bag and in the seams of a jacket; of this total, 18 chicks have already hatched and are receiving care from veterinarians and animal scientists. At Guarulhos Airport (SP), 71 eggs destined for China and Vietnam were seized in just five days, being sent to the State Government's Center for Wildlife Screening and Rehabilitation (CETRAS). The rescued birds, fed manually by caregivers, become very sociable and vulnerable, which prevents their direct release into the wild. According to biologist Fernanda Guida, the environmental team works so that these specimens form pairs and reproduce in the zoo, allowing their future offspring, raised in a wild manner, to be reintroduced into Brazilian native forests. GloboPop: click to see videos from the Fantfstico stage. Listen to Fantfstico podcasts. THIS IS FANTASTIC. The podcast Isso f Fantfstico is available on g1 and major podcast apps, bringing great reports, investigations, and fascinating stories in a podcast with the Fantfstico journalism seal: depth, context, and information. Follow, like or subscribe to Isso f Fantfstico on your favorite podcast player. There is a new episode every Sunday.
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