PF finds money inside cellar of police officer arrested in operation that arrested deputy and former head of the Civil Police of RJ

The PF arrested deputy Márcio Canella and former Civil Police chief Marcus Amim this Thursday (15). Police officers found money in an inspector's cellar.

According to the corporation, the group used a network of gas stations to launder money in Rio de Janeiro. The action had the support of the Internal Affairs Department.

The arrests were ordered by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF. The investigation shows that the group turned over R$7.6 billion in 6 years.

The Federal Police carried out 6 arrest warrants and 16 search warrants in 7 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro. The Supreme Court also ordered the suspension of 112 investigated companies.

Started in December 2025, the operation investigates the relationship between public agents and criminal factions. The suspects' defense said they will not comment.

The Federal Police found money inside a cellar belonging to Civil Police inspector José Carlos Alves de Souza Júnior, arrested this Thursday (15) in the eighth phase of Operation Nail and Carne, in Rio de Janeiro.

The action also arrested Márcio Canella (União Brasil), former mayor of Belford Roxo and second most voted state deputy in RJ in this year's elections, and delegate Marcus Amim, former state secretary of Civil Police.

According to the PF, the group under investigation used a network of gas stations in the Metropolitan Region of Rio as a structure to launder money. The investigation points to the participation of public agents and political articulation in the scheme.

José Carlos Júnior is among the four inspectors arrested this Thursday. The others are Christiano Gaspar Fernandes, also municipal secretary of the Urban Order of Belford Roxo; Giovanni Gaspar Fernandes; and Pablo Jukia Felix Ferreira, known as Pablo Russo.

The Civil Police Internal Affairs Department monitored the execution of the warrants against the investigated police officers.

The arrests were ordered by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), as part of the sixth phase of the operation, carried out in July.

At that stage, Canella and Amim were searched in an investigation into 96 gas stations. According to the investigation, the group turned over R$7.6 billion in six years. The investigations began following an intelligence report from the Financial Activities Control Council (Coaf).

Canella is appointed by the PF as the coordinator of the criminal group. He and Amim are being investigated on suspicion of money laundering, active and passive corruption and cartel formation, among other crimes.

This Thursday, the PF went out to execute six arrest warrants and 16 search and seizure warrants in seven municipalities: Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iguaçu, Niterói, São Gonçalo, Petrópolis, Angra dos Reis and Armação dos Búzios.

Moraes also ordered the seizure of goods and valuables and the suspension of economic activities of 112 investigated companies — the majority, gas stations.

Canella and Amim's defenses informed that they will not comment until they have access to the records. TV Globo is trying to contact the other people being investigated.

The operation began in December 2025 to investigate connections between public agents and criminal groups in Rio. Initially, the focus was the alleged leak of confidential information from police actions against Comando Vermelho.

Throughout the eight phases, investigations began to include suspicions of corruption, fraud in public contracts and money laundering.

This Thursday's action is part of the context of the STF's decision in the ADPF das Favelas, which determined, among other measures, that the PF investigate relations between public agents and criminal factions.