The Federal Police (PF) arrested seven people in São Paulo this Tuesday morning (17), including a police chief and three civil police officers, in the so-called Operation Tacitus. The work involves 130 federal police officers, supported by the Civil Police Internal Affairs and the Public Ministry, to execute eight arrest warrants and 13 search and seizure warrants in the cities of Bragança Paulista, Igaratá, Ubatuba and the capital.
In a statement, the São Paulo State Security Secretariat stated that the operation seeks to dismantle a criminal organization focused on money laundering and crimes against public administration (active and passive corruption).
The action takes place within the scope of investigations into the execution of whistleblower Vinícius Gritzbach, on November 8, at Guarulhos airport. The criminal scheme would involve manipulation and leaking of police investigations, selling protection to members of the PCC, as well as laundering money for the criminal organization.
All targets of Operation Tacitus would have been reported by Gritzbach for involvement in corruption. The detained police officer is Fábio Baena Martin, along with investigators Eduardo Lopes Monteiro, Rogério de Almeida Felício, Marcelo Ruggieri, Marcelo Bombom and three other people. A police officer, Rogério de Almeida Felício, is still at large. The other prisoners are Ademir Pereira Andrade, Ahmed Hassan and Robinson Granger de Moura.
Police chief Baena’s defense considered the arrest abusive, but said they would only comment after having access to the case records. The São Paulo Public Security Secretariat reported that the Civil Police Internal Affairs is monitoring the operation and that it collaborates with both the Federal Police and the Public Ministry.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, “those investigated, according to their conduct, will be responsible for the crimes of criminal organization, active and passive corruption and concealment of capital, the combined penalties of which can reach 30 years in prison”.
The name Tacitus was chosen by the PF because it means, in Latin, “silent” or “unspoken”, in reference to the way the criminal organization operates.
