O Special Action Group to Combat Criminal Organizations (GAECO) of the Public Ministry of Santa Catarina (MPSC) launched, on the morning of this Wednesday (01), the Operation South Columnconsidered the largest in the history of the task force.
The action targets a nucleus of the First Command of the Capital (PCC) investigated for being part of a criminal organization and for involvement in crimes such as drug trafficking, association for trafficking, homicides and illegal possession of weapons.
In total, they are being fulfilled 320 court orders issued by the State Court of Criminal Organizations of Santa Catarinabeing 151 temporary arrest warrants e 169 search and seizure. The targets are distributed across six states: Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais.
According to the Public Ministry, the operation is an offshoot of Operation Maserati and seeks to weaken the PCC’s ability to articulate, which, according to investigations, coordinated criminal activities both inside and outside the prison system. The process is being carried out under secrecy.
Operation structure
The offensive mobilized more than 650 security agents, including 103 members of GAECOin addition to approximately 200 vehicles and two helicopters. In Santa Catarina, five operational bases were installed — in Florianópolis, Joinville, Lages, Chapecó and São Miguel do Oeste — to coordinate simultaneous compliance with court orders. The action brings together teams from Civil Police, Military Police, Criminal Police, Military Fire Department and GAECOs of the other states involved.
During the execution of the warrants in Paraná, GAECO teams were shot by suspects. Police officers from the Police Battalion of Special Overt Rondas (RONE), who provided support to the operation, reacted to aggression to contain criminal action. A member of the PCC died during the confrontation.
The seized materials will be sent to the Scientific Police of Santa Catarina for forensic examination. After preparing the reports, the evidence will be analyzed by GAECO to continue the investigations.
