Brazil police questioning suspect over disappearance of British journalist in Amazon

Police did not clarify why the man was being treated as a suspect

British journalist Dom Phillips, right, and a Yanomami indigenous man walk in Roraima state, Brazil, in 2019 (Joao Laet/AP)

Brazilian police are questioning a suspect in the disappearance of a British journalist and an indigenous affairs official who went missing in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest more than three days ago.

Civil police in Amazonas state identified the suspect as 41-year-old Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, also known as Pelado, who was arrested for allegedly carrying a firearm without a permit, which is common practice in the region.