The British journalist and his guide disappeared in early June in the Amazon rainforest.
Brazilian federal police say they have identified five new people suspected of joining the journalist Dom Phillipsin and an indigenous expert Bruno Pereiran to death. The news agency, among others, reported the matter Reuters and British media BBC and The Guardian.
Police say people are suspected of helping to hide the bodies of Phillips and Pereira. Television channel CNN Brasil saysthat they had already been heard in the investigation but were not arrested.
Brazilian police have previously arrested three men. One of them, according to police, has confessed to the death. In addition, police have arrested the brother of the person who confessed to the death, who is suspected of involvement. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, the third suspect reported to the police themselves on Saturday.
Director of Investigation David Da Rocha told The Guardian that the investigation was “90 percent complete” and added that no new arrests were likely to be made. According to the head of the investigation, the five new detainees were relatives of the brothers previously detained.
According to Da Rocha, the suspects in the killing did not act on anyone’s orders, and the case was not part of a larger crime.
Read more: Brazilian police: British journalist and indigenous expert missing in Amazon rainforest shot
PHILLIPS and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira disappeared on June 5 while traveling by boat to Lake Jaburu, located in the northern part of the Amazon state near the Brazilian-Peruvian border. Phillips was doing background work for his book.
The disappearance of the duo has attracted a lot of attention not only in Brazil but also internationally.
Earlier in the week, search teams found human remains in the area. A forensic study on Friday confirmed that one of the discoveries is Phillips. News agency AFP said on Saturday that the remains of another body are in Pereira.
According to Reuters and AFP, authorities have said both men would have died as a result of the shooting.
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