Smuggling gang that operated in Brazil and Paraguay dismantled
A criminal organization with operations in several Brazilian states and an annual turnover of about $860 million worth of contraband was the target of a Federal Police operation on Thursday (Jun. 16).
The operation involved several teams with about 360 officers who have served arrests, pre-charge detentions, bench warrants, and search and seizure warrants in the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais.
The investigations began in 2013 and have identified four criminal groups that flew nearly every day between Salto Del Guairá, Paraguay, and clandestine airstrips in São Paulo state. From there, the goods were taken to storage warehouses, to be transported to their final destinations. One of the criminal organizations used its businesses in São Paulo state to sell the merchandise.
During the calculations, police found that at least 12 planes were used by the criminals in up to two daily flights. Each aircraft carried about 600 kilograms of merchandise worth an estimated $500,000.
The criminal groups, which were responsible for the flights, were hired by agents based in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, and in Paraguay. Throughout the investigation, four aircraft were seized, including one single-engine craft shot by the Brazilian Air Force in October 2015 when trying to return to Paraguay loaded with merchandise.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Smuggling gang that operated in Brazil and Paraguay dismantled
