The Portuguese Judicial Police arrested the Brazilian Ygor Daniel Zago, known as Hulk, in Lisbon, who was on Interpol’s red list and was considered by Brazilian authorities to be one of the main names linked to the PCC. He was detained on Saturday, the 15th, alongside his wife, Fernanda Ferrari Zago, after an operation using international warrants issued by Brazil.
Zago had pre-trial detention ordered by the São Paulo Court of Justice for criminal organization, money laundering and active corruption. The extradition request was already underway. In Brazil, he was previously sentenced to 29 years in prison for international trafficking and was arrested in 2021, but was authorized to await appeal in freedom.
According to the newspaper Public, which cites an official statement from the Judiciary Police, the two are being investigated for being part of a criminal organization based in Portugal and focused on the illegal trade of fuel adulterated with methanol. The gang’s operation was identified based on the seizure of 30,000 liters of the substance in 2023, which led the police to track financial flows and distribution routes.
Continues after advertising
Also read:
The corporation’s statement states that the group operated in a structured manner, with a defined division of functions. Portuguese authorities consider Zago one of the biggest drug traffickers in Brazil, with a history of sending cocaine abroad and links with the PCC leadership. The newspaper Public also highlights that he arrived in Portugal in May, being monitored by the Judiciary Police.
The two detainees will be presented to the Lisbon Court of Appeal, where the coercive measure will be defined. According to the Judicial Police, they can be sentenced to up to 12 years in prison for crimes investigated in Portuguese territory.
