The Federal Police and the Federal Revenue launched on March 30, Operation Hinterland, aimed at repressing international drug trafficking from South America to Europe, promoted by a criminal organization structured around two large maritime logistics companies headquartered in the ports of Rio Grande (RS) and Itajaà (SC).
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The Federal Police and the Federal Revenue, with the support of Europol (European Union Agency for Police Cooperation), SENAD/PY (National Anti-drug Secretariat) and FiscalÃa, from Paraguay, launched March 30, Operation Hinterland, aimed at repressing international drug trafficking from South America to Europe, promoted by a criminal organization structured around two large maritime logistics companies headquartered in the ports of Rio Grande (RS) and Itajaà (SC).
200 federal police officers and 12 Federal Revenue officials serve 17 preventive arrest warrants and 37 search and seizure warrants in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, Amazonas and Rondônia, and in Asunción, Paraguay.
Also executed are the kidnappings of 87 real estate, 173 vehicles, one aircraft, blocking of bank accounts linked to 147 CPFs and CNPJs, 66 blocking of real estate movement of 66 individuals and legal entities and the ban on issuing GTAs (Animal Transit Guide ) by four investigated, totaling the execution of 534 court orders.
With the measures implemented, the decapitalization of the criminal organization could reach 3.85 billion reais, estimated value of illicit transactions identified during the investigation period.
Operation Hinterland began in March 2021, based on information received by the Federal Police that 316 kilos of cocaine had been seized in the city of Hamburg, Germany, in December 2020, from the Port of Rio Grande.
The investigation indicated that the drug produced in Bolivia was sent to Brazil by a Paraguayan supplier and entered the country through Ponta Porã/MS.
Subsequently, the cocaine was transported in trucks to Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, and stored in the criminal organization's own companies or in warehouses near the ports of Rio Grande and ItajaÃ.
The drug was inserted into regular loads with the intervention and coordination of the top management of the logistics companies, without the knowledge of the contractors, owners of the licit loads (usually of inputs that could mask the drug when subjected to customs controls).
On the European continent, the drug buyer group stole part of the regular load that contained cocaine, for distribution in several European countries.
In two years of investigation, it was proven that the criminal organization moved 17 tons of drugs destined for Europe, of which 12 tons were seized.
In order to carry out Operation Hinterland, the Federal Police signed International Police Cooperation agreements with Germany and Paraguay, and International Legal Cooperation agreements with France and Germany, to implement the measures. ■