Brazilian police dismantle gang that smuggled endangered wood to United States

[Judi Lynn]

Brazilian police dismantle gang that smuggled endangered wood to United States
The Associated Press
Published: October 18, 2007


RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: Brazilian police launched an operation in six states to dismantle a gang alleged to have illegally cut down and exported to the United States a rare wood commonly used to make musical instruments.
(snip)

Prized for use in making fine guitars and other instruments, rosewood has been listed as endangered since 1992 by Brazil's environmental protection agency. Hard and dense, it is also fashioned into flooring, furniture, chess sets and other items.

After a five-month probe, investigators determined the gang exported at least 13 tons of rosewood in the past four years, mainly to the United States. Police declined to estimate its value.

The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service said it is working with Brazilian police to investigate the alleged illegal trade.

"As part of this cooperative investigation, Service special agents executed a federal search warrant (Thursday) at a location in central Massachusetts," the office said. The search warrant has been sealed by a court, and further information was not available, the office said.

More:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/18/america/LA-GEN-Brazil-Illegal-Wood.php

[robinlynne]

1. sealed by a court? must be a republicon.

[Igel]

2. They must mean "Brazilian rosewood", although even that's

a bit nonspecific. Lots of different rosewoods, and a lot of them grow in Brazil, but there's only one Dalbergia nigra, "Brazilian rosewood".

Considered tops for guitars. Wood for a classical guitar back and sides in 2003 ran well over $800, and that was fairly crappy stuff, made from doors, wall paneling, and the like. Gave up, went with some other kind of rosewood.

You can't import it, but the day I was seriously looking for some I also read articles about soybean and cattle farmers in Brazil destroying thousands of acres of old-growth forest so they could grow soybeans and beef worth much less than a fraction of the trees on their land.

So today I read about a wood-smuggling operation, and a few lines away on the relevant DU page I see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x117669.