“Cutting the flesh hurts, it’s surgery, but it heals.” With this phrase, the Secretary of Public Security of Pará, Ualame Machado, summarized the government’s position on the arrest of civil servants investigated in the “Passe Livre” operation, launched this Wednesday (26) by the Civil Police.
The action led to the arrest of ten people, including 2 Military Police officers, a Brazilian Air Force agent and the blocking of more than R$22 millionrevealing the infiltration of organized crime in the state’s clandestine transport.
A, linked to the Division for the Repression of Organized Crime (DRCO), and authorized by the Division for Combating Organized Crime. In total, preventive arrest warrants were issued, as well as search and seizure orders.
The arrests took place in municipalities in Pará — Belém, Castanhal, Ananindeua, São Miguel do Guamá, Tracuateua and Salvaterra — and also in simultaneous actions in Rio de Janeiro and Mato Grosso.
Five vehicles, five motorcycles and several cell phones were seized and will undergo forensic examination. The judicial blockade of R$22,592,418.79 aims to interrupt the financial flow of the criminal organizations being investigated.
The investigation began in 2023, after a victim reported to the police cases of extortion carried out by members of an irregular transport cooperative who, according to her, acted under orders from a criminal faction.
As the investigation progressed, the Judiciary authorized the measures that culminated in this Wednesday’s operation. The suspects must answer for money laundering, extortion, active and passive corruption, in addition to being part of a criminal organization.
When commenting on the participation of civil servants in the scheme, Secretary Ualame Machado reinforced that, despite the negative impact, the State cannot tolerate misconduct within institutions:
“Arresting a public servant, a security agent, whoever it may be, is not something that is desirable. What is expected of a public servant is that he or she serves the public. However, we cannot let situations like these go by, in which people are captured by organized crime to carry out illicit acts. We have a duty to cut into the flesh to clean up.”
In a note, the Military Police reported that the General Inspectorate provided support in executing search and seizure warrants against two military police officers during the operation. There were no arrest warrants.
“One of the police officers is already removed from duty due to a retirement process, and the other remains active, awaiting a court decision. The Military Police acts as an auxiliary body and awaits the conclusion of the investigation to adopt the appropriate measures.”
The Brazilian Air Force also confirmed that one of its soldiers is being investigated and is being held in preventive detention in its own unit:
“The soldier is being monitored with the rigor that the issue requires. She is serving preventive detention in an internal prison, in accordance with the institution’s rules. All applicable administrative measures are being evaluated in strict compliance with legality and due legal process.”
The Civil Police reported that investigations continue to identify other possible parties involved and deepen the financial analysis of criminal groups.
