A large-scale investigation by the Brazilian Federal Police led to the discovery of a massive cocaine trafficking ring operating in Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The ring, valued at around 100 million reais, involved agricultural planes, helicopters, and boats, used to transport cocaine from Bolivia to Brazil. The organization had partnerships with Eastern European countries and had connections with Brazilian politicians.
The investigation revealed that the group used complex logistics, including adapted aircraft with extra fuel tanks, to transport cocaine. They also used cryptocurrency to erase financial tracks and front companies to launder money.
Several individuals were arrested, including businessmen, pilots, and lawyers, and numerous assets, such as aircraft, vehicles, and real estate, were seized. The investigation also found connections between the group and a Brazilian politician, Paulo Maluf Pinheiro, who was arrested in Paraguay in 2008 with 400 kg of cocaine.
The Federal Police served 10 preventive arrest warrants and 30 search and seizure warrants in seven states and the Federal District. The agents also blocked real estate and bank accounts of those investigated and seized 12 million reais in aircraft and two million in vehicles.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A twin-engine plane was found abandoned in a cornfield in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
2. The plane was carrying around 400 kg of cocaine.
3. The plane was unable to stop due to its weight and crashed.
4. The criminals removed the drugs and tried to camouflage the aircraft with tarps and vegetation.
5. The pilot took photos of the plane and sent them to his boss in the criminal faction.
6. The plane was being dismantled by a team of mechanics from Paraná.
7. The mechanics received R$ 30,000 for their services.
8. The person who hired the mechanics was Fabiano Pedro Vieira, also known as "Red".
9. Red was the logistics manager of the criminal faction.
10. The faction was responsible for transporting cocaine from Bolivia to Brazil.
11. The group was made up of businessmen, lawyers, pilots, and members of a large criminal faction in Brazil.
12. Eight aircraft were located, but the number could be much higher.
13. Hundreds of contracts involving the purchase and sale of aircraft are under analysis.
14. The police believe that the aircraft were being used to carry drugs.
15. The owner of the plane sold it to a butcher who was identified as a member of the faction.
16. The real owner of the aircraft is the company Oesteaviação Agrícola de Goioerê, in the interior of Paraná.
17. The company was hired by the criminal organization to transport cocaine from Bolivia to Brazil.
18. The police have arrested several people, including pilots, mechanics, and businessmen.
19. The investigation has also discovered that the faction used cryptocurrency to erase financial tracks.
20. A Brazilian criminal nicknamed "Black" was operating in Bolivia and organized the shipment of cocaine to Paraguay.
21. The company Oeste Agricultural Aviation took care of the air logistics to bring cocaine from Paraguay to Brazil.
22. The police have seized several aircraft and helicopters as part of the investigation.
23. The pilots hired to transport cocaine were experienced and knew the international routes of South America.
24. They were paid between R$ 100,000 and R$ 50,000 for each round trip.
25. One of the pilots, Josemir Renosso, died in an accident in Bolivia.
26. The faction quickly arranged for the removal and handing over of the body to the family and paid compensation of R$ 250,000.
27. The operation was coordinated by the legal part of the faction in Brasília through the lawyer André Rodrigues Costa Oliveira.
28. The police have discovered that the faction set fire to a plane that crashed in Mato Grosso do Sul to erase traces.
29. The investigation has also discovered that the faction used a company called Film Pa as a warehouse for drug trafficking.
30. The police have arrested a Brazilian man, Paulo Maluf Pinheiro, with 400 kg of cocaine in Paraguay.
31. The man was a candidate for mayor in Amaporã, Paraná, in 2008.
32. The police estimate that the profits of the criminal organization from the cocaine air transport scheme were close to R$ 100 million.
33. The federal police served 10 preventive arrest warrants and 30 search and seizure warrants in seven states and the Federal District.
34. The police have blocked R$ 12 million in aircraft and R$ 2 million in vehicles as part of the investigation.