Silveira promises to "crack down" on organized crime in opening speech at Liquid Gas Week 2025.

247 - Opening the Liquid Gas Week 2025 event, this Wednesday (24) in Rio de Janeiro, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira (PSD), stated that his administration will act to “tighten” organized crime that operates fraud in the fuel chain. With this promise, the head of the MME reinforced the theme of strengthening state control and greater rigor against illegal activities in the energy sector.

Silveira dedicated a significant portion of his speech to highlighting that, for the federal government, combating fraud in the fuel sector is a matter of national security. According to him, it is necessary to "tie up" the criminal structures that operate diversions, adulterations, and corruption schemes at various stages, from importation and distribution to fiscal and regulatory control.

He argued that this action will be taken not only through administrative processes, but also through institutional coordination, cooperation between agencies, and strengthened legal instruments. "We will not tolerate illicit capital continuing to exploit regulatory loopholes to harm consumers and damage the energy supply chain," the minister said.

In a recent statement, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) released a package of 10 measures aimed at strengthening controls against fraud and criminal practices in the fuel sector: 

1. Integration between oversight bodies — to expand cooperation between the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), the Federal Revenue Service, the Federal Police, and state and municipal agencies for data exchange, information cross-referencing, and joint action.
2. Strengthening the ANP — to provide the regulatory agency with more technical and budgetary resources and expertise to act preventively in fuel control and to combat fraud.
3. Audits and inspections at gas stations and distributors — To intensify physical audits, laboratory checks, and surprise inspections at commercial establishments and distributors to detect adulteration, diversion, and fraud.
4. Certification and traceability — Implement fuel batch tracking systems from origin (refining or import) to the final point of sale, using digital technology and an authenticity seal.
5. Review of tax incentives — to monitor and review incentive schemes, tax benefits, and tax credits in the sector to prevent them from being used to cover up fraudulent operations.
6. Stricter sanctions — to foresee more severe penalties (fines, suspension of authorization, closure, criminal liability) for companies and agents identified with illicit practices.
7. Transparency and disclosure of data — to publish periodic public reports on inspections, fines, identified fraud cases, and progress in combating fraud, in order to give visibility to the state's efforts.
8. Technical and laboratory training — Invest in fuel analysis laboratories and train technical teams for advanced diagnosis of adulterations and sophisticated fraud.
9. Encouraging whistleblowing and protecting whistleblowers. — create secure channels for receiving reports of fraud in the sector, with legal protection and the possibility of rewards or guaranteed anonymity.
10. International partnerships and best practices — adopt international standards of control, cooperation with foreign agencies and multilaterally recognized organizations for cross-referencing transnational cases.

According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), these measures aim to make the regulatory framework more preventive, not just repressive, and to close loopholes that allow the actions of structured criminal organizations.