Federal Revenue and Federal Police execute 120 warrants against smuggling and money laundering scheme linked to the border with Paraguay
The Federal Revenue Service and the Federal Police launched operation Sicarius this Tuesday (June 9, 2026) to dismantle a transnational criminal organization suspected of smuggling cigarettes and pesticides and money laundering.
According to investigations, the group operated mainly in the Guaíra region, in Paraná, on the border with Paraguay, and would have moved hundreds of millions of reais through shell companies and third-party bank accounts.
Authorities reported that a money changer linked to the scheme moved more than R$375 million from 2019 to 2024. According to the Federal Revenue Service and the Federal Police, the activities investigated cause losses to public revenue, encourage unfair competition and increase the risks associated with the circulation of products without fiscal and sanitary control.
According to the investigation, the organization specialized in smuggling cigarettes from Paraguay and was also involved in the illegal introduction of pesticides into Brazil. After obtaining the resources, those investigated would have used mechanisms to hide the origin of the money.
Authorities identified that the money changer under investigation controlled accounts in the name of oranges and shell companies. In the personal bank accounts attributed to him alone, gross transactions exceeded R$114 million in the period analyzed.
The investigations began after arrests were made in connection with the transport of smuggled cigarettes. The financial and asset analysis of those involved indicated possible money laundering practices associated with illicit activities. During the investigation, the Federal Court authorized the breaking of the tax and banking secrecy of those investigated.
The operation carries out 62 search and seizure warrants, 44 preventive arrest warrants and 14 temporary arrest warrants in the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and Pará. The orders were issued by the 1st Federal Court of Guaíra.
The Court also ordered the carrying out of tax procedures in companies that received funds from the money changer under investigation, in addition to the cancellation of CPFs and CNPJs linked to schemes considered fraudulent.
220 federal police officers, 7 tax auditors and 2 tax analysts from the Federal Revenue Service participated in the operation.
