Mato Grosso police intercept 1,284 illegal aroeira timber trucks on BR-174

On Friday, March 3, police from the Specialized Border Crime Repression Division (Defron) arrested four men after intercepting a convoy on federal highway BR‑174 near kilometre 25 in Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade, Mato Grosso. The operation, part of the "Protector of the Borders" campaign, stopped three cargo trucks carrying a total of 1,284 aroeira logs extracted illegally, as well as a Fiat Uno that was acting as a scout for the convoy. The drivers admitted the wood was transported without fiscal invoices, environmental licences or the required Document of Forest Origin (DOF). All vehicles and the timber were seized, and the suspects—aged 19, 28, 32 and 52—were taken to the local police station for processing.