Integrated operation targets criminal organization suspected of stealing meat

The Federal Police and the MPSP (Public Ministry of São Paulo) launched, this Wednesday (8), Operation Argenti Lardum to dismantle a criminal organization investigated for theft, robbery and reception of cargoes of beef in the states of São Paulo and Paraná.

In total, 10 temporary arrest warrants and 10 search and seizure warrants were served, in addition to measures to block and seize assets.

The court orders were executed in the cities of Araras, Guarulhos, Ribeirão Pires and São Paulo, in addition to Apucarana, in Paraná. The investigation is conducted by Gaeco (Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime), of the MPSP, in conjunction with the PF (Federal Police).

According to investigators, the criminal group operated during the interstate transport of beef cargo. After the theft, the products were taken to previously defined locations, where the tracking devices were removed. The cargo was then transferred to refrigerated containers, with the aim of making it difficult to identify the origin of the material.

The investigations also indicate that the organization relied on the work of so-called "lombadores", responsible for the logistics of storage, fractionation and preparation of the meat for resale. According to the investigation, sales were made to recipients and, in some cases, ideologically false invoices were used to give the products the appearance of legality.

In Araras, in the interior of São Paulo, teams from the 10th Special Police Actions Battalion (Baep) of the Military Police provided support to the Federal Police in executing an arrest warrant and a search and seizure warrant. The action resulted in the arrest of an investigator and the seizure of materials considered relevant to the continuation of the investigations.

Operation Integrated Force III
Operation Argenti Lardum is part of Operation Integrated Force III, a national mobilization carried out simultaneously in 14 states and coordinated by the Integrated Forces to Combat Organized Crime (FICCOs).

The offensive brings together federal and state institutions in investigations related to the activities of criminal organizations, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, money laundering, cargo theft and other crimes.

In total, Operation Integrated Force III carried out 181 search and seizure warrants and 93 arrest warrants in different regions of the country. Investigations are ongoing to identify other possible members of criminal organizations and further investigate the crimes.

Source: CNN