Operation in seven states arrests more than 20 for international drug trafficking and money laundering | Pernambuco

Operation against international drug trafficking arrests 22 people in Pernambuco

This Tuesday morning (26), an operation by the Civil Police of Pernambuco was launched against an international drug trafficking and money laundering gang. In total, 28 arrest warrants and 45 search and seizure warrants were issued in Greater Recife, Agreste of the state and in six other states (see video above).

Called “Ladybug”, the operation began investigations in February 2022. According to the delegate responsible for the case, Adyr Almeida, the gang is from Paulista, in Greater Recife and had a national reach, circulating money in orange companies in other states to facilitate the trafficking of drugs such as cocaine.

“It consisted, roughly speaking, of sending money here from Pernambuco to shell companies there in Paraná, in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, causing these orange companies to distribute this money coming from trafficking to border areas here in Brazil, mainly with Bolivia “, he said.

Arrest and search and seizure warrants were served in the following locations:

All warrants were issued by the Court of the First Criminal Court of the District of Paulista and, according to the delegate, 22 of the arrest warrants were served in Pernambuco. The names and ages of those arrested were not released.

According to Aldyr Almeida, one of the gang’s strategies was to buy cryptocurrencies so that the money “disappears”.

“We aimed to identify all the people who were involved in this gang, from the person who sells drugs in communities to the person who receives the money. In border cities in Brazil, the acquisition of large quantities of cocaine. In addition, We also had the success of learning the weapons used in the drug war”, he informed.

Some of these weapons were seized during search and seizure warrants in the North Zone of Recife and in Paulista. At the home of one of those investigated, a 28-year-old man whose name was not disclosed, the Police officers found ammunition, a rifle, a shotgun, two Glock pistols and a revolver. In addition to two grenades, cell phones, flash drives and portions of marijuana.

The prisoners and the seized material were taken to the Department for the Suppression of Property Crimes (Depatri), in Afogados, in the West Zone of Recife.

In addition, the Court also ordered the judicial freezing of financial assets worth around R$15 million.

The investigations were advised by the Pernambuco Civil Police Intelligence Directorate and the Money Laundering Laboratory.

It also has operational support from the Special Operations and Resources Command and the Civil Police of São Paulo, Paraná, Pará, Rondônia, Mato Grosso and Santa Catarina.

Bianka was taken from her home in the early hours of March 3, at Engenho Maranguape, in Paulista. According to relatives, the girl was sleeping with her sister and grandmother when armed men broke down the door of the house, invaded the property and dragged the teenager to a car.

At the time, the delegate responsible for the case Ademar Cândido said that the motivation for the crime was the drug dispute in the region and dispute over territory. He also said that Bianka was used as a plane, carrying drugs, and, therefore, the criminals thought she kept drugs inside the house.