Rio militia launches its own cigarette brand and threatens to kill anyone who smokes another brand.
Paramilitary groups, sustained by extortion and threats, move billions through counterfeit goods and impose violent rules on communities.
247 - While criminal factions and militias wage a bloody battle for control of territories in Rio de Janeiro, paramilitary groups have consolidated their dominance by exploiting highly lucrative illegal activities. Among these, the sale of counterfeit cigarettes stands out, becoming one of the main financial pillars of these criminal organizations. According to information published by the portal... Metropolises.The illegal cigarette trade generated approximately R$ 9 billion in 2023, with 34 billion units sold in Brazil.
The militias, formed mostly by former police officers and military personnel, not only distribute the products but also produce them, including counterfeit versions of Paraguayan brands, creating what has been called "counterfeiting of counterfeits." Despite the low quality of the cigarettes, local merchants are coerced into selling exclusively the "brand of crime." For residents who dare to purchase products from another brand, the punishment can be fatal.
According to Edson Vismona, president of the National Forum against Piracy and Illegality (FNCP), security forces have already identified the participation of militias and factions in the manufacture of counterfeit cigarettes in Brazil. “They not only smuggle them, but they also produce them within the country. And they have logistical advantages, occupying space within the criminal monopoly,” he stated. He also highlighted that the militias strictly prohibit the sale of other brands: “These organizations occupy spaces in the communities, and residents can only buy the product authorized by the militia.”
Expansion and territorial control
The power of the militias goes far beyond the counterfeit cigarette market. These groups illegally exploit services such as the sale of cooking gas and alternative transportation, expanding their sources of profit and consolidating control over communities. Currently, it is estimated that the militias have influence in at least 45 of the 92 municipalities in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
This dominance is maintained by a criminal network that includes extortion, tax evasion, money laundering, smuggling, and murder. Investigations by the Civil and Federal Police have revealed a wave of violent deaths, disappearances, and attempted murders related to the dispute over the monopoly on the sale of illegal cigarettes.
The name of Adilson Oliveira Coutinho Filho, known as Adilsinho, appears as the main leader behind this scheme. He and his brother, Cláudio Coutinho de Oliveira, were targets of Operation Smoke Free, carried out in November 2022, and Operation Fumus, the previous year. These actions, conducted by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ) and the Federal Police (PF), resulted in the issuance of nearly 70 arrest warrants.
Crime monopoly
Investigations indicate that the militias have structured themselves as veritable criminal business organizations, with a single objective: profit. Through the sale of counterfeit cigarettes and other illegal activities, these groups strengthen their influence and create a reality of fear and oppression for the residents of the communities.
The rise of militias in Rio de Janeiro underscores the urgent need for integrated and continuous action by security forces and public policies to combat these organizations, which have transformed vulnerable territories into veritable monopolies of crime.
