‘Human’ remains found in search for British journalist Dom Phillips, Brazilian expert Bruno Pereira

Brazil search teams found possible human remains in their hunt for a British journalist and indigenous expert as the suspect’s family professed his innocence in the case.

Dom Phillips, who was a regular contributor to the Guardian and Washington Post, and Bruno Pereira were last seen Sunday in the Sao Rafael region of the Amazon rainforest where they disappeared after passing through a lawless region by boat.

This week’s developments saw police find traces of blood on a boat belonging to local resident Amarildo da Costa, who is considered the main suspect in the pair’s disappearance.

Now, experts will investigate the “organic material” found in a river near the town of Atalaia do Norte in the Amazon rainforest, in what may be the biggest break yet for the five-day investigation.

A Brazilian judge ordered suspect da Costa, who was this week charged with illegal possession of restricted ammunition, to be held for another 30 days while police investigate his involvement in the case.

Police search the Itaquai River during the hunt for British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.
AP

As the search for the two missing men heightened, Brazilian officials deployed more than 150 soldiers in camouflaged trucks to the town of Atalaia do Norte to interview locals.

By Friday, officials deployed soldiers in riverboats to inspect the nearby waters.

Dom Phillips was last seen with Bruno Pereira on Sunday in the Sao Rafael region of the Amazon rainforest.
Phillips was last seen with Pereira on Sunday in the Sao Rafael region of the Amazon rainforest.
AFP via Getty Images

Costa’s lawyers and family said he fished legally on the river and professed his innocence to the police.

Police say he was one of the last people to see the two missing individuals, and suspect he was involved in illegal fishing for a buyer in Peru.

Da Costa’s family members claimed police were torturing him to try to force a confession.

Fellow fisherman Osenei da Costa de Oliveira, 41, said Friday his brother was arrested at home before being taken to jail.

“Then they put him on a boat under the sun and began to travel to Atalaia do Norte,” da Costa de Oliveira said.

“When they reached the Curupira rivulet, they put him on another boat. Then they beat him, tortured him, put his head under water, stepped on his leg and pepper-sprayed his face. They also drugged him twice, but I don’t know what they used.”

“They wanted him to confess but he’s innocent,” he added.

Brazilian officials deployed soldiers in riverboats to inspect the nearby waters.
Brazilian officials deployed members of the search party in riverboats to inspect the nearby waters.
AP

The suspect’s mother, Maria de Fátima da Costa, remembered seeing her handcuffed son arrive at a nearby port with police, saying he could barely walk on his own and was soaking wet.

“I told the police he was not a criminal to be treated like that,” she said.

Proclaiming her son’s innocence, the suspect’s mother said the traces of blood police found on his boat could belong to a pig he slaughtered a few days before his arrest.

Over 150 soldiers were deployed in camouflaged trucks to the town of Atalaia do Norte to interview locals.
Over 150 soldiers were deployed in camouflaged trucks to the town of Atalaia do Norte to interview locals.
AP

The blood stains are now being analyzed by lab experts.

In a desperate bid to rid da Costa of accusations, his family slammed the claim he was armed and flashed a gun at Phillips and Pereira.

The suspect’s father-in-law, Francisco Conceição de Freitas, said da Costa — also known as “Pelado” in his community — waved an oar, not a rifle, at the two men just one day before they vanished because he felt “threatened” by them.

Soldiers have been searching for Phillips and Pereira for five days after they disappeared while passing through a lawless region by boat.
Soldiers have been searching for Phillips and Pereira for five days after they disappeared while passing through a lawless region by boat.
AP

De Freitas claimed the watchmen were armed, adding that da Costa wanted to make it seem as though he was also carrying weapons.

The family said da Costa doesn’t have a criminal record and his only previous run-in with the law for being detained for a few hours after police falsely suspected he was transporting drugs.

On Thursday, officials said a forensic officer and state police were checking for “possible genetic material” on the boat containing blood to see if it belonged to a human or an animal.

Indigenous locals joined the search for the missing men in a region known for violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers and government agents.
Indigenous locals joined the search for the missing men in a region known for violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers, and government agents.
AP

Police investigated six other people in connection with Phillips and Pereira’s disappearance.

Pereira — who recently received threats over his work combating illegal fishing — and Phillips, were on a reporting trip in the Javari Valley, a remote jungle area near the Peruvian and Colombian border, when they disappeared.

The region often sees illegal hunters and fishermen pass through, according to police.

Navy sailors search for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira on a speedboat in the Javari Valley Indigenous of Brazil, on June 9, 2022.
Navy sailors search for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira on a speedboat in the Javari Valley Indigenous area of Brazil, on June 9, 2022.
AP

Phillips, who has reported from Brazil for more than a decade, has been working on a book about the preservation of the Amazon.

Phillips has also contributed to the Washington Post and New York Times. He currently resides in Salvador, a city in Brazil’s Bahia state, with his wife, Alessandra Sampaio.

Actor Mark Ruffalo, soccer legend Pelé, and US President Joe Biden are among the notable names urging the Brazilian government to intensify efforts to find the men.

A volunteer diver helps Navy men in the search of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira at the Javari Valley Indigenous territory on June 9, 2022.
A volunteer diver helps Navy men in the search of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira at the Javari Valley Indigenous territory on June 9, 2022.
AP

With Post wires

Read the full article Here

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DON’T MISS OUT!
Subscribe To Newsletter
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
Stay Updated
Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime.
close-link