Chaules Volban Pozzebon

Chaules Volban Pozzebon (born 1982, Capanema) is a Brazilian entrepreneur and leader of a criminal organization involved in illegal logging and extortion, Pozzebon was identified as the owner of 120 sawmills throughout the Northern region of the country, earning him the nickname 'the largest deforester in Brazil'. He was arrested during the Deforest Operation conducted by the Federal Police, which resulted in his sentence of 99 years in prison.

Life

Chaules was born in Capanema, in Paraná, in 1982. He moved to Ariquemes, in Rondônia, in the early 2000s, and soon entered the lumber industry. The accusations against the organization began in Vale do Jamari, where residents complained about an extortion scheme maintained by gunmen, police officers, and businessmen.

The group installed gates at passages in the region where they charged fees that could reach thousands of reais, depending on the type of vehicle, such as trucks and tractors. They also exerted control over a settlement in the region known as 'Soldado da Borracha', where they collected money from settled families awaiting land regularization through agrarian reform, and engaged in acts of intimidation and persecution to seize certain areas. Pozzebon's organization was preparing to permanently expel the families and sell the land in plots to farmers and loggers in the region.

Minerva

Minerva Foods also conducted business with Pozzebon's farms during 2021, acquiring 672 head of cattle from farms linked to illegal deforestation.