Brazilwood illegal logging scheme uncovered in Espírito Santo

Brazilian authorities have uncovered a sophisticated illegal extraction and commercialization scheme involving Pau-Brasil (Brazilwood), a highly threatened species of the Atlantic Forest. The wood is prized globally as the ideal raw material for high-end violin bows, which can retail for between $5,000 and $10,000 each.

Investigations by Ibama revealed that companies located in the Guaraná district of Aracruz, Espírito Santo—including Arcos Brasil, Archets Brasil, Bogen Schaeffer, and Horst John & Co.—engaged in systematic forest documentation fraud. While Brazilian law has prohibited the cutting of native Pau-Brasil since 1993 and restricted exports under CITES Appendix II since 2006, these companies allegedly bypassed regulations by inserting false information into official registration systems.

By falsifying records to show that their stocks remained constant, the companies were able to mask the continuous replenishment of their inventory with wood illegally extracted from areas such as the Pau-Brasil National Park in Bahia.