Criminal group on the outskirts of Fortaleza: 3 PMs and municipal guard are arrested in MPCE operation – Security

The Public Ministry of Ceará (MPCE) and the General Discipline Controller (CGD) through the Internal Affairs Department (DAI) triggered the Operation Interitus, in Fortaleza, this Tuesday morning (14). The report from the Northeast Diary found out from a source that participates in the operation that three military police officers and a municipal guard were arrested.

[ATUALIZAÇÃO ÀS 13h45

Anteriormente o Diário do Nordeste havia informado que eram quatro militares presos. No entanto, fontes confirmaram que são quatro prisões no total, incluindo a do guarda. Em coletiva à imprensa, o promotor Adriano Saraiva detalhou que o “esquema criminoso” não se configuraria milícia,  atualizando a primeira informação que chegou aos veículos de comunicação através do release da coletiva.

Dos PMs, dois são cabos e um soldado. No total, são 11 mandados de busca e apreensão. 

A organização seria liderada por um dos militares.

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All of them are suspected of participating in a criminal organization operating in the Capital. The MP states that they are several crimes were attributed to the group.

They would be involved in crimes like, extortion, homicide, irregular firearms trade, drug trafficking and money laundering.

Prosecutor Adriano Saraiva said that “the combination of all the information revealed the scenario of a criminal scheme committing the most diverse crimes” resulting in the filing of the complaint.

ANONYMOUS REPORT

According to the MP, the MPCE investigation began in 2021 following the receipt of a report from the Civil Police Intelligence Coordination reporting an alleged scheme of misuse of police systems by public security agents.

“At the same time, an anonymous report reached Gaeco about the existence of a militia on the outskirts of Fortaleza, supposedly made up of military police officers who were committing a series of serious crimes.

Furthermore, DAI also forwarded material to Gaeco with evidence of this group’s participation in several homicides. “GAECO’s investigative work continued until 2023 and confirmed the criminal scheme, identifying a group made up of military police officers and a municipal guard with the purpose of committing the most diverse crimes, in particular extortion, homicide, drug trafficking and money laundering” .

O delegate from the Internal Affairs Department (DAI), Eduardo Sampaio de Melo, highlighted that during the searches firearms, drugs and tampered vehicles were seized.

Also according to the DAI delegate, two homicides carried out by the criminal group took place in front of a popular shopping mall, in Jacarecanga, and the other in a residence in Cais do Porto.

OPERATION DETAILS

At a press conference, it was reported that the suspects operated mainly in the Barra do Ceará neighborhood, in the Capital. Gaeco filed a complaint in September 2023 against 11 individuals for the crimes. The complaint was received by the Judiciary.

The press conference was attended by the Attorney General of Justice, Manuel Pinheiro, coordinator of the Special Action Group to Combat Criminal Organizations (GAECO), prosecutor Adriano Saraiva, the Secretary of Public Security of the State of Ceará, Samuel Elanio de Oliveira ; the coordinator of the Civil Police Intelligence Coordination (COIN), Nelson Pimentel; the delegate of the Internal Affairs Department (DAI), Eduardo Sampaio de Melo; and the Lieutenant Colonel of the Military Police, Francisco Alexandre Rodrigues de Souza.

Samuel Elânio, SSPDS secretary, highlighted the scale of the operation and the partnership to comply with the warrants. Nelson Pimentel, from COIN, added that “for intelligence there is no crime that cannot be elucidated. The Public Security Secretariat will always be working to combat bad police officers, criminals who are within our Institution.”

SEE CGD’S FULL NOTE:

The General Comptroller of Discipline of the Public Security Bodies and Penitentiary System, through the Internal Affairs Department (DAI), and the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime of the Public Ministry of Ceará (GAECO-MPCE), with the support technician from the Intelligence Coordination (COIN) of the SSPDS, launched the Operation on the morning of this Tuesday (14), focusing on the dismantling of a criminal organization made up of military police officers and a municipal guard.

According to the material produced throughout the investigation, the group committed crimes such as extortion, homicides and money laundering.

Furthermore, specifically, DAI was able to identify at least 2 (two) cases in which the criminal group acted directly, with 3 (three) homicides occurring between 2018 and 2019.

One of the cases, which occurred in 2018, was the homicide committed against an app driver, near the Centro Fashion, in Fortaleza/CE. On that occasion, one of those investigated was involved in a small traffic accident moments before the crime, when the motorcycle he was driving collided with the app driver’s vehicle. Then, a few meters after the crash site, simply because the accident had occurred, the person being investigated fired a firearm at the victim, killing him on the spot.

In the other case, a double homicide that occurred in 2019. The criminal organization made up of police officers invaded a house in the Cais do Porto neighborhood, in Fortaleza/CE, and executed two people there. According to the investigation, a group of 4 (four) hooded men arrived at the scene, identified the victims and executed them with several gunshots. The possible motivation for this crime would be personal disagreements between one of those investigated and one of the victims.

In addition to the cases mentioned, at least three other homicides are linked to those being investigated, in addition to several cases of extortion.

In total, 10 (ten) military police officers and 1 (one) municipal guard are targets of the Operation. 4 arrest warrants and 11 search and seizure warrants were served.

During compliance with the measures, several cell phones were seized, as well as narcotic substances, illegal weapons and tampered with vehicles, which led to the arrest of 3 of the targets by the Internal Affairs Department.