Gamblers and casino employees attributed to Piruinha are arrested | Rio de Janeiro

Rio – Operation “Bancarrota”, launched this Tuesday (30) against José Caruzzo Escafura’s animal gambling stand, Piruinha, ended with 15 people detained, including three employees and five gamblers. They signed a detailed statement – when the fact is considered to have less offensive potential – and were released.

Agents from the Special Action Group for the Repression of Organized Crime (Gaeco/MPRJ) and the Police Station for the Repression of Organized Criminal Actions (Draco) also seized 81 machines, cell phones and documents in the action.

In total, search and seizure warrants were executed at 14 addresses of individuals and legal entities linked to the exploitation of Jogo do Bicho and slot machines. Two clubs in the North Zone of Rio were targeted by the task force: Opposition, in Abolição, and Vera Cruz, in Piedade. According to Gaeco, casinos operate there. Investigators seized 68 machines and almost R$11,000 at the Opposition Club alone.

Prosecutor Fábio Corrêa, coordinator of Gaeco, informed that the investigations began based on anonymous complaints.

“These complaints were investigated by the Security Coordination of the Public Ministry. The material that had already been obtained through Operation Louvre (which culminated in the arrest of Piruinha), carried out by Gaeco in 2022, was revisited. From then on, we were able to uncover some addresses where these casinos operated, which were targets of search and seizure”, he said.

Corrêa highlighted that Piruinha, despite not having been the target of Tuesday’s operation, is at the center of the investigations.

“The intelligence information points in the direction of this character (Piruinha), who is admittedly a leader in that region of Abolição, Piedade, Cascadura, Engenho de Dentro, etc. Although he was not the target of this operation, the entire scenario hovers around this leadership,” he stated.

The documents and other equipment found were taken to the Public Ministry, in the center of Rio. The seized machines were taken to the Civil Police City, in the North Zone, where they will be subjected to expertise at the Carlos Eboli Criminalistics Institute (ICCE).

The owners of the addresses that were the subject of search warrants must also provide detailed statements at one of the specialized police stations.

The warrants, issued by the 2nd Specialized Criminal Organization Court of the Capital, were carried out in the neighborhoods of Engenho Novo, Bento Ribeiro, Jacarepaguá, Realengo, Madureira, Cascadura, Brás de Pina and Cavalcanti.