Interpol began searching internationally for businessman Ricardo Magro, linked to the Refit group, after including his name in the so-called Red Diffusion, a mechanism used to locate and arrest fugitives in countries that are members of the international police organization.
The inclusion occurred following a request sent by the Federal Police last Saturday (16). According to investigators, the measure was authorized after analyzing the documentation sent by the Brazilian authorities and the assessment that the case met the requirements demanded by the international network.
With this, Magro could be detained in any of the 196 countries that make up Interpol.
PF tries to locate businessman
The Federal Police say they do not know the exact whereabouts of the businessman. According to the investigation, Ricardo Magro has lived outside Brazil for at least a decade.
Investigators point out that he resides in the United States and has Portuguese citizenship, a factor that increased the concern of Brazilian authorities about possible difficulties in locating and extraditing him.
The request for international dissemination was presented following a decision by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), within the scope of Operation Without Refining.
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Last week, Moraes authorized an arrest warrant for Magro and also ordered searches against the former governor of Rio de Janeiro Cláudio Castro (PL).
Investigation points to billion-dollar fraud
Operation Without Refining investigates suspicions of a tax evasion scheme estimated at R$52 billion. According to the PF, Ricardo Magro is being investigated for tax fraud linked to the fuel sector and began to be treated by authorities as one of the main names involved in tax evasion schemes in the country.
Investigators claim that the businessman is identified internally as the “biggest tax evader in Brazil” within ongoing investigations. The PF offensive targets alleged structures used to artificially reduce tax collection in the fuel market.
