Police also seized firearms cartridges and an oar, but did not release any further information. The second suspect has been identified as Oseney da Costa Oliveira. He is 41 years old, as is the prime suspect and fisherman Amarildo da Costa Oliveira.
The fisherman, also known as Pelado, went after Phillips and Pereira’s boat at high speed, according to witnesses. Traces of blood were found on his boat, which is being investigated. The man was arrested on June 7, two days after the disappearance of the men. He denies any involvement.
In the search, things belonging to Phillips and Pereira were found. Presumably human remains have also been found. An investigation has yet to determine whether these are the missing men. Confusion arose Monday after Phillip’s wife said she had heard from a Brazilian diplomat in London that two bodies had been found. The find is contradicted in Brazil.
Phillips (57) writes for the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’ and Pereira (41) works for the Brazilian government agency for indigenous affairs. Pereira is also committed to preserving the Amazon region. The two were on an expedition together in the Javari Valley, along the border with Peru. They would conduct interviews for a book on environmental conservation. There is an increasing amount of illegal fishing, logging, mining and drug trafficking in the area.