Model Nicole Bahls said her boyfriend, businessman Marcelo Viana, was arrested for wildlife trafficking after an Ibama operation on his farm in Itaboraí. According to her, Marcelo had given her two capuchin monkeys, sold with false documents.
“My boyfriend bought it and he surprised me. They had ID at the time of licensed breeding and an active microchip, but they were counterfeit. Whoever sold it said they were a representative in RJ,” she said.
In an interview with Quem magazine, Nicole said federal authorities investigated the animals’ origins after a news story. The information raised suspicions and the agents discovered that these were trafficked species from the wild.
“[Eles] they called the only authorized breeding center in Brazil to commercialize the species to find out if I had purchased them from there and informed me that I had not. Arrived here on site I was calm because I thought the documentation was in place and they had the microchip, “she said.
“When I submitted it, they saw on the spot that it was fake and I went into despair, because I’m all right with my things and I had already grown very fond of them. I treat them like children… I cried a lot” , he said.
“They asked me a lot of questions, about how they were fed, how often they were nursed, about hygiene and everything else. But they saw that they had all the love in the world, plus lots of space with trees, I even made a lake for them and that I too was a victim”.
Nicole Bahls said that, at the same time, she offered to take them to the home of the woman who sold the animals to Marcelo Viana. “Their work is very nice, in favor of animal life. It was a great operation, I took them to the house of the girl who sold them,” she said.
“They didn’t let her get out of the car, but they went, seized her animals and took them away. Her little monkey was in a cage. The girl will have to answer for forging documents and other things,” he explained.
“I felt sorry for her, I don’t think she sold anything, she only did it to help me and she ended up getting scammed because she pointed to an unpleasant person. She said she didn’t win anything, that she just made the bridge,” she analyzed.
The model added that her boyfriend was also arrested during the federal police approach, but he posted bail. “After the inspection of my farm, I spent the whole day testifying to the Federal Police. Marcelo was also devastated, because whoever buys is also arrested … he had to pay the bail otherwise he would not have stayed there”.
While the situation was unfortunate, Nicole Bahls said officers were polite and professional when investigating the trafficked wildlife. The former Panicat should return the monkeys to their natural habitat soon.
“I am in a lot of pain […] I’m afraid they’ll kill them after they get back to the jungle. […] But I understand that God had a purpose, that he is using me to sensitize people not to buy even legally, because many buy and put them in a cage,” he concluded.
After the environmental operation, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources reported that the model was fined by Ibama “for keeping wild specimens in captivity without a permit, license or authorization”.
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Source: Terra
Jason Root is a writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth coverage of famous people in entertainment, sports, and politics. He has a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines and bringing readers an inside look at the lives of the famous. He has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley.
