Investigated for laundering money from Comando Vermelho, ‘King of Scrap’ is arrested buying jewelry in a luxury shopping mall in São Paulo

Investigated for laundering money from Comando Vermelho, ‘King of Scrap’ is arrested buying jewelry in a luxury shopping mall in São Paulo

According to the RJ Civil Police, Rodrigo Leonardo de Lima Alcântara moved millions of reais through companies in the metals sector and allegedly transferred more than R$4.6 million to the financial operator in Rabicó, appointed as the head of drug trafficking in Complexo do Salgueiro.

By g1 Rio

Businessman Rodrigo Leonardo de Lima Alcântara, the "King of Scrap", was arrested this Saturday (7) in São Paulo. He is appointed as an operator of the Red Command.

On the run since May 2026 after Operation Containment, he was located in a luxury shopping mall. The investigation points to movements of R$453 million.

Rodrigo managed the company Metais Pequi, registered in his father's name. She transferred R$4.6 million to Tek, a financial operator for drug dealer Rabicó.

The businessman had already been arrested in 2021 for fraud in Minas Gerais. He is also cited in the Federal District for simulating operations worth R$63 million.

A businessman known as “King of Scrap”, identified by the Rio Civil Police as one of the main operators of a money laundering scheme linked to Comando Vermelho, was arrested this Saturday (7), in São Paulo.

Rodrigo Leonardo de Lima Alcântara had been on the run since May, when he was the target of an operation that investigated the financial structure of the criminal faction. He is known as the “King of Scrap” for his work in the trade, recycling and smelting of metals and scrap, especially copper.

According to the Civil Police, Rodrigo was located in a high-end shopping mall in the capital of São Paulo, while shopping at a luxury jewelry store. After arrest, he was taken to the São Paulo Police Palace.

The capture was carried out by agents from the Narcotics Repression Department (DRE), in conjunction with the Institutional Security Group of the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (GSI/MPMG) and the Diplomatic Security Service of the United States Department of State.

The businessman is being investigated for allegedly using companies in the metal recycling and trading sector to move resources from drug trafficking.

The investigation points to a financial connection with Antônio Ilário Ferreira, known as Rabicó, identified as one of the leaders of Comando Vermelho and head of drug trafficking in Complexo do Salgueiro, in São Gonçalo, in the Metropolitan Region of Rio.

Investigation identified movement of R$453 million

The arrest is an offshoot of Operation Containment, launched on May 29, 2026. The DRE investigation identified an interstate money laundering structure that would have moved more than R$453 million.

According to the police, the scheme involved recycling companies, scrap and metal trading, fractional cash deposits, bank accounts used to transfer funds and transfers between individuals and legal entities without an apparently compatible economic relationship.

Rodrigo was not found during the operation and was considered a fugitive. He was also on Interpol's wanted list, according to the Civil Police.

The investigation teams monitored the businessman's movements and identified that he had returned to Brazil at the beginning of October. From then on, the agents followed his steps until they located him in São Paulo.

Company would have transferred more than R$4.6 million to Rabicó operator

One of the main elements of the investigation is the activities of the company Indústria e Comércio de Metais Pequi Ltda., in the non-ferrous metal casting sector.

According to the Civil Police, Rodrigo would be the de facto administrator of the company, although it was formally linked to his father, Carlos Roberto de Alcântara, arrested in May.

The investigation shows that the father was officially an administrator, while Rodrigo was responsible for the effective management of the business.

The analysis of financial intelligence reports from the Financial Activities Control Council (Coaf) identified transfers from the company to Alex Sandro Ferreira de Araújo, known as Tek, identified by investigators as Rabicó's main financial operator and front man.

Between April 2023 and May 2024, 27 transfers were identified totaling R$3.7 million. In a second period, between May and September 2024, another R$898,800 would have been transferred.

In total, the values ​​identified in the operations between Metais Pequi and Tek reach approximately R$4.6 million.

The police also identified the company's financial transactions with other businesses in the same business circuit, including Ebráfios, Jornal Corporativo and L E Reciclagem. Transfers to accounts linked to two of these companies reached approximately R$1.6 million.

For researchers, the transactions indicate the circulation of resources through a network of companies in the scrap, recycling and metals sector.

Businessman has already been the target of investigation in Minas

Rodrigo had also been investigated in another scheme involving the trade of metals and scrap metal.

In 2021, he was arrested during Operation Sinergia, conducted in Minas Gerais. The investigation uncovered suspicions of fraud in the copper trade, with the use of shell companies and the issuing of fraudulent invoices to give the appearance of legality to commercial operations.

According to the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais, the scheme involved simulated operations and fictitious companies in different states. In later stages of the investigation, the tax losses discovered reached hundreds of millions of reais.

Documents analyzed by the Rio Civil Police also indicate that Rodrigo declared, during that investigation, that he managed the company Metais Pequi.

Investigation in DF identified a network of 31 companies

The businessman was also named in an investigation by the Civil Police of the Federal District into a tax fraud scheme involving the trade of metals.

Rodrigo was appointed as a central figure in a structure that would have used 31 companies to issue invoices and simulate commercial operations.

According to the police, some of these companies were registered in the name of people without economic capacity compatible with financial transactions, including beneficiaries of social programs.

One of the companies investigated allegedly issued R$63 million in invoices in just 48 hours.

The investigation also identified the possible use of Credit Rights Investment Funds (FIDCs) to give the appearance of regularity to financial operations.