Police find belongings of missing pair in Brazil

Mr Phillips' wife and mother-in-law say they now presume the two men are dead.

In Summary

• The items include Mr Phillips' boots and a backpack with clothes in, as well as Mr Pereira's health ID card, a flip-flop, black trousers and boots.

• The pair went missing while travelling by boat on a reporting trip in a remote Amazon rainforest on 5 June.

Veteran journalist Dom Phillips has been living in Brazil for over a decade
Veteran journalist Dom Phillips has been living in Brazil for over a decade
Image: GETTY IMAGES

Brazilian police say they have found personal items belonging to missing UK journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.

The items include Mr Phillips' boots and a backpack with clothes in, as well as Mr Pereira's health ID card, a flip-flop, black trousers and boots.

The pair went missing while travelling by boat on a reporting trip in a remote Amazon rainforest on 5 June.

Mr Phillips' wife and mother-in-law say they now presume the two men are dead.

"They are no longer with us," his mother-in-law wrote on Instagram. The post was later shared by the journalist's wife.

Last week, the police found possible humans remains in a river near the town of Atalaia do Norte. Experts have since been analysing the "organic material".

Blood traces found on a boat belonging to a fisherman, who has been arrested, are also being tested.

Another boat belonging to the suspect, named as Amarildo da Costa, was also discovered in the past 24 hours.

Mr da Costa, known locally as "Pelado", has been questioned and charged with illegal possession of restricted ammunition.

Police say he was one of the last people to see Mr Pereira, 41, and Mr Phillips, 57.

Indigenous groups say both men have received threats for their work in the region, which has seen illegal fishing, logging, mining and drug trafficking.

Both Mr Pereira and Mr Phillip, who has written for publications such as the Guardian and the Washington Post, are hugely experienced and planned their journeys thoroughly. They reportedly had a new boat and plenty of fuel.

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