Gang is the target of an operation against money laundering and drug trafficking in PE and SP; public servant is one of those investigated

A gang involved in money laundering and drug trafficking for rich clients in Greater Recife is being investigated by the Civil Police. Operation Rastro Selado was launched this Thursday (12) to execute 13 arrest warrants and another 13 search and seizure warrants against targets in Pernambuco and São Paulo, including a public servant.

The investigations began in October 2024 with the aim of dismantling the criminal organization, which operated mainly in Recife and Jaboatão dos Guararapes, in the Metropolitan Region. According to the police, the traffickers hid the money "through financial operations designed to give the appearance of legality to illicit resources."

Images shared by the Civil Police show searches of mansions with closets, works of art and swimming pools. Furthermore, among the seized materials there are small bags that could be used to separate the drugs.

In a statement, the Civil Police reported that:

"drug sales were targeted at people with high purchasing power";

"the scheme enabled the movement and concealment of significant amounts, providing millionaire profits to members of the criminal organization";

In addition to the arrest and search and seizure warrants, "judicial orders to sequester assets and block financial assets are carried out, all issued by the Court of the Fourth Criminal Court of the Capital".

The targets are located in the following municipalities:

There are also targets located at the Pernambuco Military Police Reeducation Center (Creed) and the Professor Everardo Luna Observation and Screening Center (Cotel), both in Abreu and Lima, in Greater Recife.

Until the last update of this report, information about how the money laundering scheme worked and the public body where the public servant under investigation works was not disclosed by the Civil Police. It was also not reported what was seized through the execution of the warrants.