Brazilian war on mahogany loggers

Brazil has launched a big operation to save the country's mahogany trees, which are among those most threatened by deforestation in the Amazon.

The initiative, named Operation Rescue, aims to hunt down illegal loggers and smugglers, and to recover thousands of cubic metres of illegally cut wood.

The authorities plan to set up road and river controls in the Amazon to block smuggling routes abroad, backed by police and the army, and using helicopters, planes and boats.

Brazil banned mahogany logging last October, except for companies who guarantee to replant.

Mahogany is the most expensive wood in Brazil, and the smugglers' main markets include the United States, Britain and Japan.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service