Owner of farms, planes and gas stations: find out who the PF arrested on suspicion of leading international trafficking | Tocantins

Suspected of heading an international trafficking network, João Soares Rocha is arrested in Palmas. He is being investigated for several crimes, including homicide, which allegedly occurred between 2018 and 2020. Last week, he was found by the Federal Police in Ponta Porã (MS) after being on the run for four years.

See below what is known about the investigations against João Soares Rocha. O g1 he couldn’t make contact with his defense.

João Soares Rocha, 67 years old, is a businessman and owner of farms, planes, gas stations and even a hangar. His business was focused on raising cattle. He was arrested for the first time in 2019, during Operation Flack, appointed leader of the gang.

João Soares Rocha is suspected of heading an international drug trafficking group. The criminal group began to be investigated in 2018 after an aircraft with 300 kilos of cocaine was seized in Formoso do Araguaia. He must also answer for money laundering, international drug trafficking, association for international trafficking and murder of a former federal police officer.

Federal Police investigations showed that the gang used 47 adulterated planes in the scheme. According to police, between 2017 and 2018, more than 9 tons of cocaine were transported on 23 flights. The group used airstrips in Palmas and Porto Nacional, in Tocantins, as a base to move drugs.

At the time, the police reported that the drug transport route passed through producing countries (Colombia and Bolivia), intermediate countries (Venezuela, Honduras, Suriname and Guatemala) and recipient countries (Brazil, the United States and the European Union).

During Operation Flack, carried out in February 2019, João Soares was arrested in the city of Tucumã, in Pará. The suspect of heading the trafficking network was transferred to Palmas (TO), where he gave a statement at the Federal Police headquarters and was later sent to the capital’s Provisional Prison House.

In July of the same year, he was released after receiving habeas corpus at the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region, in Brasília. At the time, the defense appealed to the TRF, after having a request for freedom denied twice by the courts in Tocantins. He had to pay bail of five minimum wages.

The Federal Police reported that after leaving prison João Soares ordered the death of a former police officer in Goiás. After an arrest warrant was issued, he was considered a fugitive and entered the International Police’s wanted list in 2020.

The former police officer was shot several times inside his car. The hired suspect told police officers that he would receive R$20,000 for the crime.

Suspect of heading international trafficking scheme was transferred to Palmas

João Soares was arrested in Ponte Porã, in Mato Grosso do Sul last Thursday (21). He was found in a house that was under construction in the city and during the stop he presented false documents to the federal authorities. The suspect even told during interrogation that he had bought the identity in Paraguay for R$12 thousand.

Because he was on the run, João Soares even changed his appearance to disguise himself. At the time of his arrest he was seen wearing a cap, glasses and a mustache. On Sunday morning (24), João arrived in Palmas on a Federal Police flight and was taken to the PF headquarters, under strong police escort.

The custody hearing was held last week, shortly after the arrest, by the Federal Court in Mato Grosso do Sul. According to the Federal Police, João Soares is in the Palmas Penal Unit.

O g1 requested information from the court to find out whether João was indicted or reported for any of the crimes in which he is being investigated, but there was no response until the publication of this report.

Police seize weapons, ammunition and other items from suspected head of trafficking network in Ponta Porã (MS)