The murder of whistleblower Vinícius Lopes Gritzbach, with rifle shots at São Paulo International Airport, in Guarulhos, was ordered by members of the criminal organization PCC. The information was confirmed by the director of the São Paulo State Department of Homicide and Personal Protection (DHPP), delegate Ivalda Aleixo, in a press conference held this Thursday (16).
In an operation carried out this morning by the Military Police Internal Affairs, a military police officer was arrested on suspicion of being one of the perpetrators of the shots that killed the whistleblower. According to the state’s Secretary of Public Security, Guilherme Derrite, the investigation used breach of telephone confidentiality and facial recognition to identify and locate the suspect.
The arrest is part of an operation launched this morning by the Internal Affairs Department that carried out a total of 15 arrest warrants and seven search and seizure warrants against military police officers suspected of being involved with the criminal organization.
According to the Public Security Secretariat (SSP), active and reserve military personnel and former members of the institution favored members of the criminal organization, avoiding arrests or financial losses. Among those benefiting from the scheme were leaders of the faction and even people wanted by the courts. Police officers also provided security for criminals, as was the case with Gritzbach. Some of them provided security for the informer on the day of the murder.
Fourteen preventive arrest warrants were served, related to illicit personal security activities, according to the SSP. “[O inquérito policial militar] managed to prove that these military police officers knew about the criminal conduct before and after, that is, that Vinícius was a criminal, that he had a specific role in laundering money from organized crime and that he continued to commit illicit acts after the plea bargain that was made to the Public Ministry,” said Derrite.
The suspected shooter was temporarily detained and served based on article 150 of the Military Penal Code, which refers to the organization of military personnel with weapons to commit violence. “With intelligence tools, breaking telephone confidentiality, analysis during the course of the IPM [inquérito policial militar]after hearings from the military police officers, it was concluded that another military police officer – who was not being investigated – was placed at the scene of the crime”, revealed Derrite, at the press conference.
“With the images, videos and photos that already existed from the day of the murder and the images that were collected by the Military Police Internal Affairs, it was concluded that this individual was one of the shooters. As a result, his temporary arrest was requested, and he has already been arrested and is in the custody of the military police officers of the Internal Affairs Department and will be sent to the Romão Gomes military prison”, added the secretary. Derrite said that, as of around 12 p.m., the suspect had still not spoken to police officers.
The DHPP director said that the police have two lines of investigation to identify the person who ordered Gritzbach’s execution. “As for the mastermind, we have two lines of investigation, both factional. It was a crime ordered by a member of the PCC. We have two lines that are already quite advanced in the investigation”, he said.
