The Rio Civil Police launched, this Tuesday (22), the first phase of Operation 13 Aldeias against a money laundering scheme using oranges that, according to investigations, supplied the criminal organization called People of Israel.
The Civil Police assessment showed that, over two years, the group handled around R$70 million in “resources obtained from drug trafficking crimes and extortion carried out through false kidnappings”.
The action carried out by civil police officers from the Anti-Kidnapping Police Station (DAS), with support from the Undersecretariat of Intelligence and Internal Affairs of the Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration (Seap), is the result of an investigation that began 10 months ago. According to the State Secretariat of Civil Police, investigations indicate that it is a complex scheme within prisons.
In the capital, investigations are carried out in Copacabana, in the south, and in Irajá, in the north. In the metropolitan, Lagos and northern Rio de Janeiro regions, police officers are in the municipalities of São Gonçalo, Maricá, Rio das Ostras, Búzios and São João da Barra, in addition to being present in the state of Espírito Santo. “The Criminal Police also carries out actions in the prisons where the leaders of this faction are located”, added the secretariat in a note.
According to the Civil Police, the criminal organization emerged in 2004, as a result of dissent from criminals in a rebellion, and currently has around 18,000 prisoners, occupying 13 prison units, called villages by prisoners. “This volume represents 42% of the prison staff”, he informed.
“In this first phase, 44 search and seizure warrants were carried out, the current accounts and respective financial assets of 84 people being investigated were blocked, as well as the removal from public service of five criminal police officers,” the note added.
Later this morning, at a press conference, in the Police City (Cidpol), in the north of the city, the Civil Police will present the balance of the operation and provide additional information about the investigations.
