In all, 1,400 agents served 200 search and seizure warrants against 350 targets in ten states of the country
A, launched on the morning of Thursday (28), is the largest in history of the country against the infiltration of organized crime in the formal economy and aims at the fuel sector and financial institutions based on Avenida, in São Paulo. In all 1,400 agents served 200 search and seizure warrants against 350 targets in ten states of the country. The operation involves agents of the Federal and Military Police and state and federal revenues, as well as prosecutors of São Paulo (MP-SP). Only the region of Avenida Faria Lima, the country’s main financial center, concentrates 42 of the targets of the operation, including fintechs, brokers and investment funds.
It is estimated that the criminal organization, linked to the first command of the capital (), has moved R $ 52 billion in the investigated period, shielding resources through 40 investment funds. Companies in the fuel production chain are also investigated. The São Paulo courts decreed the unavailability of four alcohol plants, five investment funds administrators and five gas stations. The five targets of due diligence add up to 300 fuel sales addresses around the country.
In all, 17 fuel distributors, four cargo carrier, two port terminals, two payment institutions, six refined and fuel formulators, as well as 21 individuals and even a bakery network.
Fintech moved R $ 17.7 billion
The main institution of payments investigated is BK Bank. According to the authorities, Fintech recorded R $ 17.7 billion in suspicious financial movements. It is estimated that 80% of fintech’s movements in the investigated period are related to the CCP. The IRS also estimates that the criminal scheme evaded R $ 1.4 billion in federal taxes, while evaded state taxes are estimated at R $ 7.6 billion.
In a statement, BK Bank said it was surprised by the operation and “conducts all its activities with total transparency, observing strict compliance standards.” “BK Bank reiterates its commitment to legality and is placed at the sole willingness of the authorities to provide clarification and fully collaborate with the investigations,” the statement says.
Reag and Boxter cited in the investigation
Among the companies cited in the investigation, the best known are Reag Investimentos and the Boxter Fuel Network. Reag managed the Location Investment Fund in the first half of 2020. The only quotaholder of the fund was Renato Steinle de Camargo. According to investigations, Renato was an “iron forehead” of businessmen Mohamad Hussein Mourad and Roberto Augusto Leme da Silva, known as “Beto Louco”, linked to the CCP.
Renato deposited R $ 54 million in the investment. Santander notified Coaf about deposits, which, according to the bank, were incompatible with Renato’s assets. In analyzing the shareholder’s financial movements, it was identified that R $ 45 million had as its origin a financial application of an account that belonged to Mohamed Mourad.
One of Reag’s partners, Walter Martins Ferreira III, is accused of having helped hide the true beneficiary of the Location Fund. In a statement sent to the Securities Commission (CVM), Reag said it is fully collaborating with the authorities.
A relative of Mohamad Mourad, Tharek Majide Bannout, would have a bakery network and would work in the field of gas stations through RCG Investimentos e Participações, a company that belonged to Renan Cepeda, investigated in Operation King of Crime in 2020, for alleged connections with Marcola operators. Renan is one of the partners of the Boxter Fuel Network, pointed out by the investigators as the PCC gas stations network.
Fuel companies
According to the inquiry, the main client of BK Bank in the investigated period was the fuel distributor Aster, which belongs to Mohamad Mourad. Of the R $ 17.7 billion in suspicious movements, R $ 2.22 billion were destined for aster. The company was suspended by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) in 2024. In addition to distribution, Mourad would be connected to Copape, a fuel formulator.
Investigations also point out that Mourad owned a network of gas stations on behalf of oranges. Mohamed Mourad’s cousin Himad Abdallah Mourad is director of GCX, which controls 103 posts, and GT formulator, which manages Arka distributor and Tlog Terminal and Riolog terminals Terminals
Promoters suspect leakage
MP-SP promoters suspect the operation leaked to their targets. The investigated abandoned their homes still at dawn before police arrived. On the other hand, the leak did not reach the most important addresses of the investigation, such as BK Bank headquarters.
The investigators identified that computers and other tests were hidden in a building of Conselheiro Saraiva Street, in the neighborhood of Santana, northern São Paulo.
Authorities react
Authorities commented on megaoperation. The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, defended the approval of the Security PEC, in process in Congress. “The proposal of the Government of Brazil is precisely that all security forces in the country get together, that the information is shared and the coordinated operations,” said the head of the portfolio in defending the government project.
According to the minister, PEC approval will facilitate cooperation between different public agencies, which is important in a context of infiltration of crime in different sectors of the economy and in different regions of the national territory. “Organized crime is no longer local, it is global. Only a macro view from the Brazilian government, which is successful by the states, is successful. They are operations in ten states,” Lewandowski told a news conference in Brasilia.
In the same line, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad highlighted the collaboration of different authorities. “This operation is exemplary because it managed to reach the system cover, upstairs,” said Haddad.
The Secretary of Public Security of São Paulo, updated the data of the operation at a press conference. According to Derrite, only in Sao Paulo, 700 state police were mobilized. “They fulfilled 156 warrants. The police did not know what the operation was and where they were going to work,” said the secretary.
*With information from Estadão Content
Posted by Fernando Dias
