Operation targets million-dollar fraud against Mercado Livre in the interior of SP

The MPSP (Public Ministry of São Paulo) launched, this Tuesday morning (26), Operation Free Shipping, which investigates a fraud scheme against the Mercado Livre platform with an estimated loss of more than R$ 2.5 million.

The action is led by Gaeco (Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime) with support from the 9th Baep (Police Special Actions Battalion).

In total, ten search and seizure warrants were executed in cities in the interior of São Paulo. Five targets are in Tanabi, one in Bálsamo, one in Mirassol and three in São José do Rio Preto.

According to the MPSP, two of the warrants in Rio Preto are aimed at properties located in high-end condominiums, while the third targets the company headquarters of one of those being investigated.

Investigations indicate the existence of two criminal groups: one operating in the Tanabi region and the other in São José do Rio Preto. Despite the geographical division, the Public Prosecutor's Office suspects that both are part of the same criminal organization, as they would use similar methods to carry out scams.

Analysis of the seized materials should help identify possible connections between the centers and the main beneficiaries of the scheme.

According to Gaeco, the suspects carried out two types of fraud. In the first modality, they advertised large products on the platform, such as cabinets, dressers, bathroom cabinets and shelves, but illegally changed the weight and dimensions of the items in the Mercado Livre system.

Read also: MP carries out operation against corruption and fraud scheme in SP police station

With the help of employees from the company itself, previously co-opted, those investigated were able to drastically reduce the cost of shipping.

According to prosecutors, criminals would register, for example, a kitchen cabinet as if it had the dimensions and weight of a matchbox.

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In this way, the Mercado Envios system, responsible for transporting the goods, calculated shipping costs well below the real value. The practice would have been repeated thousands of times, also allowing a reduction in the final price of the products and a competitive advantage over competitors.

In the second modality identified, the scheme involved false returns of goods. Mercado Livre was induced to pay for the transportation of products that were supposed to be collected from the homes of dissatisfied consumers, but the collections were never carried out.

The operation mobilized eight prosecutors, ten public prosecutors, 13 operational teams and 62 military police officers from the 9th Baep.

CNN Brasil requested a note from Mercado Livre regarding the operation and is awaiting a response. The space remains open.

*Under the supervision of Carolina Figueiredo

Source: CNN