The Federal Court blocked more than R$ 2 billion investigated for alleged smuggling of gold extracted from illegal mines in the Amazon region. The kidnapping of values is part of a mega-operation carried out this Wednesday (15) by the Federal Police.
One hundred agents served three arrest warrants and 27 search and seizure warrants in the joint action with the Public Ministry and the Federal Revenue Service. The action took place in seven states in the North, Midwest and Southeast regions, in addition to the Federal District.
The searches expand the volume of evidence against the criminal clandestine mining scheme, especially in the Itaituba region, in the west of the state of Pará.
In the first 15 days of the month, the Federal Police have already carried out at least five operations to combat illegal mining and the extraction of gold from the forest.
The police investigation that gave rise to this Wednesday’s operation began in 2021, when the Federal Revenue identified groups that issue fraudulent invoices to give the appearance of legality to the gold purchased by two leading companies of the criminal organization.
Between 2020 and 2022, electronic banknote issues would have reached more than BRL 4 billion, which corresponds to 13 tons of gold.
Most of it would have been exported through a company based in the United States, which resold the gold to Italy, Switzerland, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, supplying the foreign market with ore illegally extracted from the Amazon region.
