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The crime occurred on the Avenida do Poveiros repatriation
The shot murder of Rafael Lourenço, one of the leaders of the “Cashew ghosts” gang, warned authorities to the presence of the Brazilian criminal group in Portugal.
The execution of Rafael Lourenço, 35, at dawn on Sunday, in Póvoa de Varzim, revealed the presence in Portugal from “CAJURU GROSS”, A violent Brazilian criminal group that had not been detected so far by national authorities. Known as“ Rafinha ”, Lourenço was appointed as one of the organization’s leaders, created for over 20 years in the Cajuru neighborhood of Curitiba, Paraná.
The criminal arrived in Portugal in April from Assunção (Paraguay) to Madrid, and then terrestrial to Lisbon. Was living discreetly in Odivelas, escaping the authorities after being sentenced to prison in 2023 By criminal association, drug trafficking, money laundering and illegal possession of a weapon. The escape occurred after the execution, in Brazil, of his partner and co -founder of the group, Bruno “Negão”, in March 2024.
Initially dedicated to robberies and thefts, the group went, from 2020, to focus on International Cocaine Trafficking For Europe, a business that may have yielded 40 million euros in the last five years. It is also suspected of several homicides, including the murder of a military police with more than 40 shots in January. The “Ghost Operation” of the Civil Police of Curitiba also revealed a sophisticated money laundering scheme, supported by façade companies and a luxurious lifestyle.
Brazilian authorities believe that the “ghosts of the cashew” collaborated with the first command of the capital (CCP), the largest criminal organization in Latin America, with confirmed presence in Portugal. The involvement of the CCP in the death of “Rafinha” does not exclude, says.
At dawn of the crime, Lourenço was persecuted and shot on the Avenida do Poveiros repatriation. Although injured, he ran about 200 meters to his car, on Vasco da Gama Avenue, where he was hit mortally on his head. In total, he suffered seven bullet injuries. The investigation points to two executors, who will have fired 13 times before fleeing high speed.
A GPS device found in the victim’s car indicates that it may have been WATCHED BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION. The Brazilian police suspected that Lourenço was hiding in northeastern Brazil, but after all was in Portuguese territory.