Police arrest 15 in operation against fraudsters.
Operation Bing Bang, conducted by the Civil Police, dismantled a gang that committed bank fraud in four states and was responsible for losses of over R$ 37 million to banks, individuals, and companies in less than two years; 11 people were arrested in Rio de Janeiro, three in Espírito Santo, and one in Bahia.
From Agência Brasil
Rio de Janeiro – Fifteen people were arrested this Monday, the 11th, of which 11 were in Rio de Janeiro, three in Espírito Santo, and one in Bahia, during Operation Big Bang, conducted by the Civil Police. The objective of the operation was to dismantle a gang of swindlers responsible for carrying out bank scams in four states. One person, who did not have a warrant issued in their name, was arrested in flagrante delicto for illegal possession of a firearm in Espírito Santo.
The operation was launched to execute 15 arrest warrants and 28 search and seizure warrants. Twenty-one trucks purchased by the gang and rented for freight were seized this Monday, 16 in Salvador, four in Espírito Santo, and one in Rio de Janeiro. The operation is being led by the 54th Police Station in Belford Roxo, in the Baixada Fluminense region, and has the support of 200 civil police officers. The investigations began in March of this year.
The Universo gang operated in Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Bahia, and Paraná. According to the police, the group is responsible for causing losses of over R$ 37 million to banks, individuals, and businesses in less than two years. The suspects will be charged with racketeering, fraud, and money laundering. In fraud cases alone, the group committed 554 crimes.
The head of the Belford Roxo police station, Felipe Curi, reported that the gang laundered money in several ways. The suspects enticed small business owners to take out bank loans and increase their company's share capital, charging a service fee ranging from R$ 50 to R$ 200. When the share capital increased, the accused obtained authorization for larger loans.
"In the city of Salvador, 16 vehicles were seized from a member of the gang who was arrested there. It was a gang that moved a lot of money with an extremely complex scam. All the suspects who were arrested outside of Rio de Janeiro will be brought here by tomorrow," said the police chief.
He reported that the gang used a school in Belford Roxo, municipal hospitals in Bahia, and shell companies that rented trucks to launder money. The operation prevented a scam, which was underway in Bahia, from being completed. It is estimated that around R$ 100 million would have been moved during this scam.
"This gang has been operating since at least 2011. They [the accused] were preventively arrested and their bank accounts have already been frozen. We also discovered that this group donated R$ 400 to the political campaign of a mayor who was elected in Baixada Fluminense in 2012," added the police chief.