It’s the first time the police have uncovered a fraud licensing scheme since a new licensing system was implemented in September last year.
Eighteen people were arrested, including some public servants and timber traders, in the scheme in the northern state of Parà.
Some of the arrested were employees of the National Institute of Environment and Parà’s State Secretariat for Science, Technology and the Environment.
The Brazilian Ministry of Environment said the police’s success was helped by the new computer-based system which enables frauds to be uncovered more quickly.
