The Federal Police (PF) confirmed to the CNN the arrest of Rubens Villar Coelho, known as “Colombia”, who allegedly took part in the murders of English journalist Dom Phillips and indigenist Bruno Pereira, in Vale do Javari, in Amazonas.
Coelho was already investigated by the Federal Police and was arrested with false documents. According to delegate Eduardo Alexandre Fontes, the suspect’s real identity is still under investigation, since he has different names in documents from different countries.
“We are finding out that this person known as ‘Colombia’ works with fishing, according to him, he buys fish. We are investigating whether or not there is illegal fishing and if there is only a commercial relationship with other traders or if he participates in and finances illegal fishing in the region”, said the delegate in an interview with the press.
The PF also claims that the suspect works with fishing in the Javari region and would be the chief of Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, known as Pelado, one of the perpetrators of the shootings, who had previously been arrested.
The information was confirmed with the PF Superintendence in Brasília.
the case
British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenist Bruno Pereira Araújo were considered missing as of June 5, in the Vale do Javari region, an area of indigenous lands in Amazonas.
After the case gained repercussion, several public figures, environmentalists, activists, artists and opposition politicians went public to demand urgent measures for the search for the duo.
One of the main suspects in the disappearance, Amarildo Oliveira da Costa, known as Pelado, confessed to having participated in the duo’s murder more than a week later .
He and his brother, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, known as “Dos Santos”, are arrested on suspicion of having participated in the crime. Jeferson da Silva Lima, known as “Pelado da Dinha”, was arrested on suspicion of having participated in the concealment of the corpses. Another five people were identified as involved in the concealment of the bodies of Bruno and Dom.
Rubens Villar Coelho, a man of Peruvian nationality, known as Colombia, would be head of Pelado and was arrested this Friday, July 8.
Amarildo then indicated where he would have buried the bodies of the duo, and the police confirmed the existence of human remains at the site. Examinations confirmed that the bodies were those of Dom de Bruno.
Source: CNN Brasil
