Action fulfills 11 arrest warrants and 25 search and seizure warrants to dismantle a network that paid bribes to public agents
The Public Ministry of São Paulo, through the Special Action Group to Combat Criminal Organizations (GAECO), launched this Thursday (5) the Operation Bazaar to dismantle a police corruption scheme aimed at protecting a criminal organization specializing in money laundering.
The action was carried out in conjunction with the Federal Police, through the Integrated Force to Combat Organized Crime (FICCO), and had the support of the Civil Police Internal Affairs.
According to investigations, the criminal group was formed by money changers, financial operators and people with a history of involvement in money laundering. The organization acted in a coordinated manner to ensure the continuity of illegal activities and avoid holding its members accountable.
According to the Public Ministry, criminals paid undue advantages to public agents to obtain protection. In return, strategies such as procedural fraud, manipulation of investigative procedures and even destruction of evidence within police investigations were adopted.
In total, they were fulfilled 25 search and seizure warrantsincluding in police units, in addition to 11 arrest warrants e six subpoena warrants related to various precautionary measures in prison in São Paulo and Jundiaí. The measures were aimed at members of the criminal organization, lawyers and civil police officers suspected of participating in the scheme.
The operation also aims to break the institutional protection structure created by the group and hold those involved criminally responsible.
After the action, the Public Ministry and the Civil Police Internal Affairs Department decided to carry out extraordinary corrections in the police units investigatedto investigate possible administrative irregularities and discipline other possible parties involved.
What the SSP-SP says
In response to the operation, the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat (SSP-SP) stated, in a note, that the Civil Police does not condone misconduct on the part of its members and highlighted that will adopt all applicable legal and disciplinary measures if any irregularities involving company agents are confirmed.
