Loggers posed a threat to health of Isconahua tribal members who live deep in rainforest, official says
LIMA, April 28 (Reuters) - An illegal logging operation inside an isolated Amazonian tribe's reserve in Peru has been dismantled and 15 people arrested, the government said on Thursday, the first such crackdown since it toughened sanctions on the practice.
Authorities also seized more than 5,000 cubic feet of illegal timber in a joint police-military operation inside the Isconahua Reserve last weekend, Deputy Culture Minister Patricia Balbuena said.
She added that the illegal loggers posed a threat to the health of Isconahua tribal members who live deep in a rainforest inside the reserve, which spans some 1,000 square miles.
Indians who have long shunned contact with outsiders often lack immunity to common illnesses - making encounters potentially deadly.
Isconahua is one of five reserves set up in 1998 where entry is banned to outsiders. Last year it became part of a new national park, Sierra del Divisor.
Some 60 police and military officers together with public prosecutors participated in the crackdown, which was the first "mega-operation" to evict outsiders from one of the indigenous reserves, Balbuena said.
Balbuena said authorities plan to carry out more raids in Isconahua. She likened the effort to the government's crackdown on illegal gold mining that has led to the burning of dozens of makeshift camps in a different region.
Peru modified its penal code last year to make illegal logging on indigenous lands an aggravated offense punishable by a term of at least eight to 10 years in prison - allowing the government to dedicate more resources to fighting it.
Balbuena said authorities did not encounter any members of the Isconahua tribe during last weekend's operation, adding that it was unclear if loggers had.
(Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Paul Simao)
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