Mahogone-y!!

Mahogany items ‘reclaimed’ from department stores and timber companies around Britain were taken to the Houses of Parliament at 10.45 am on Wednesday 15th June to be shown to the Press, including TV Globo from Brazil, and the reason for the action was explained.

MPs Cynog Dafis, Ken Livingstone and Llew Davis were present (Simon Hughes sent apologies and message of support as he was speaking in the House). They accompanied CRISPO seizure units with their mahogany items to the Attorney General's office.

The office refused entrance to all but one MP. Cynog Dafis spent ten minutes in discussions with him and handed over a letter requesting him to look into the sale of stolen property in British stores. He said that he would make his position clear in a written response.

CRISP-O groups successfully removed items believed to be made from mahogany illegally logged on indigenous lands in Brazil from stores and importers throughout the country. The list of stolen property is as follows

Birmingham - 1 bedside table from Rackhams, Leicester - 1 set of 3 banister spindles from B & Q Depot, London - 1 mahogany tray from Harrods, Manchester - 1 bedside table from John Lewis, Norwich - 2 barometers, 1 thermometer, 1 standard lamp stand, 2 bedside lamp stands from Bonds, Oxford - 2 planks of mahogany labelled 'PERACHI' from Jewsons.

PERACHI, MAGINCO and IMPAR are 3 companies which have recently had injunctions served on them to prevent them from continuing illegal logging on indigenous Indian lands. Their logging practices open up vast areas of otherwise commercially unviable forest, bringing first contact to remote tribes. These people have no resistance to our illnesses and many are murdered if they try to resist the destruction of their homes and lands.

A letter from the Crown Prosecution Service to the CRISPO offices advised them to "report to the police" if they had evidence of a criminal offence. After nearly 1yr of ethical shoplifting around the country, when the police have been given evidence that illegally extracted mahogany is being imported and sold in British stores. They have refused to investigate or even give any reason for their refusal, and simply return the stolen timber to the thieves.

The items were left at the Attorney General’s office with a note that they should be returned to the rightful owners i.e. the Brazilian Indians. Police were seen to remove them. Further information from CRISP-O offices 0603 631007