The investigation is investigating the entry into Brazil of five pieces of luggage brought on a flight that included the president of , (-PB), and the senator (-PI) in April 2025. The volumes did not undergo X-rays upon arrival in São Paulo, when a tax auditor authorized them to be released without inspection. The case was sent to the (Federal Supreme Court).
The episode occurred when Fernando Oliveira Lima, known as Fernandin OIG, returned from a trip to the Caribbean island of São Martinho, owner of online betting companies that offer games such as Fortune Tiger — popularly known as the “little tiger game”. He was the target of the Bets CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry).
According to the PF report to which the Sheet had access, fiscal auditor Marco Antônio Canella allowed the pilot José Jorge de Oliveira Júnior, flight commander and employee of Fernandin’s company OIG, to pass with the volumes outside the X-ray, at the Catarina International Executive Airport, in São Roque (SP), in the metropolitan region of Sorocaba, around 9 pm on April 20, 2025.
Wanted by SheetMotta confirmed that he was on the flight, but said that, upon disembarking at the airport, he “complied with all protocols and determinations established in customs legislation”. The deputy’s press office also stated that he will await a response from the (Attorney General’s Office).
The Federal Police document states that only the pilot passed outside the equipment with unchecked suitcases and that “it is not possible to categorically state who the volumes belong to or their contents.”
“There is, therefore, no way to rule out the possibility of the involvement of one or more passengers holding forum privileges in the crimes under investigation in these cases or in other criminal practices that may be revealed during the course of the investigations”, says an excerpt from the report.
The investigation launched by the PF investigates possible crimes of facilitating smuggling or embezzlement and malfeasance. In the document, the corporation highlights that the tax auditor involved in the case has already been indicted in another case on suspicion of the crimes of passive corruption and facilitation of smuggling.
The PP-OIG plane, which belongs to Fernandin OIG, left Catarina airport on April 13, 2025, heading to the Caribbean and returned a week later, on April 20, landing at 9 pm. Almost an hour later, at 9:50 pm, a FAB (Brazilian Air Force) plane picked up Motta at the location and took him to Brasília.
In addition to Motta and Ciro, deputies Dr. Luizinho (PP-RJ) and Isnaldo Bulhões (-AL), both leaders of their parties in the Chamber, were on the aircraft. The two appear in images obtained by the PF while passing through the X-ray equipment. In total, the flight had 16 passengers.
The PF reported that, initially, the pilot went through the metal detector, exchanged a few words with the inspector and removed two pieces of luggage that had just been through the X-ray and, bypassing the portico, returned to the restricted disembarkation area.
“By 9:35 pm, all luggage passed through the X-ray machine and all passengers were subjected to metal detection, but, at around 9:40 pm, José Jorge de Oliveira Júnior returned to the inspection point carrying 5 (five) additional volumes (in addition to the luggage he was already carrying previously) and none of them underwent inspection”, completes the report.
After the episode, the airport’s X-ray operator reportedly questioned the tax auditor, who, according to the corporation, gestured with his hands “expressing banality and irrelevance.” The PF stated that the server’s conduct was at least irregular and should be investigated.
Marco Antônio Canella is stationed at Viracopos International Airport, in Campinas (SP).
Fernandin OIG stated that the items belonged to the flight commander and that disembarkation followed the normal process. The pilot said that he does not remember the day of arrival, but declared that the process took place “in accordance with the rules of current customs legislation”.
“There is a standard procedure: each passenger disembarks with their belongings individually”, stated Jorge Oliveira. “I follow the same standard, and each pilot only transports their own items, so that, in any inspection, they are responsible exclusively for what they carry. In the company, it is a rule that no crew member carries passengers’ belongings, limiting themselves to their own”, he continued.
The report also contacted the advisors of Ciro Nogueira, Dr. Luizinho and Isnaldo Bulhões early on Monday night (27) to obtain their position on the episode.
The request was reinforced this Tuesday (28) at 9am for Ciro, at 9:45am for Dr. Luizinho and at 9:30am and 9:50am for Isnaldo. There was no response until the publication of this report.
The case was sent by the Federal Court of São Paulo to the Supreme Court, where it is kept confidential. The petition to the court was filed on April 13. In an order dated Friday (24), the minister, chosen as rapporteur, determined that the PGR must comment on the process within five days.
In an excerpt from the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) statement cited by Moraes, the prosecutors mistakenly mention that the flight would have taken place in April 2024. The PF investigation shows that the landing was actually in April 2025.
Asked about the existence of an internal process to investigate the conduct of the auditor investigated by the PF, she stated that the internal affairs investigations are carried out in secrecy and that she could not confirm whether there are open procedures in the specific case.
The tax auditor was contacted by email and phone call, around 2:15 pm and 2:20 pm. There was no response.
During the investigation, the PF obtained the flight’s passenger list, which includes the names of Motta, Ciro, Isnaldo and Dr. Luizinho. As it involved authorities with special jurisdiction, the case was sent to the MPF – which asked for the case to be processed by the STF.
The politicians were returning from São Martinho, an island in the Caribbean considered a tax haven by the Federal Revenue Service. The place is also known as the Las Vegas of the Caribbean due to nighttime attractions such as casinos.
Before reaching the Supreme Court, the case was in the 1st Federal Court of Sorocaba. The first movement in the system in that instance indicates that it was distributed in October 2025. On March 18, judge Carolina Castro Costa ordered it to be sent to the STF.
as to SheetCiro Nogueira has already traveled on another occasion on a private jet belonging to Fernandin OIG. In May 2025, the president of the PP went to Europe on one of the planes, while the businessman was the target of the CPI das Bets.
The collegiate body was installed at the end of 2024 to investigate irregularities in betting houses and possible result manipulation schemes in sporting events.
