Operation targets scheme to send stolen cell phones to 10 states

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro launched, this Thursday (2), an operation in 10 states to dismantle a scheme for receiving and distributing stolen and stolen cell phones. The investigation shows that the devices were sent from Rio to different regions of the country through postal parcels, supplying the illegal electronics market.

Named Operation Rastreio, the action is led by the DRCPIM (Delegation for the Repression of Crimes Against Immaterial Property) and has the support of the civil police of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Alagoas, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia, Ceará and Pernambuco.

In total, 41 search and seizure warrants are being executed. Agents search addresses linked to those under investigation and seize cell phones to check, in real time, whether the devices have a record of robbery, theft or any restrictions on use.

The investigations began after joint work between the Civil Police and the Federal Revenue Service, which intercepted 30 postal shipments containing 65 used cell phones. The expertise found that most of the devices had IMEIs blocked by Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) or were already included in incident records.

Based on the analysis of the orders, the researchers identified the recipients and reconstructed the path taken by the devices. According to the police, the group used mail to distribute cell phones to recipients in different states and expand the circulation of products of illicit origin.

In addition to identifying the receivers, the operation seeks to clarify the entire distribution chain of the devices, from those who send them to those responsible for marketing.

According to the Civil Police, Operation Rastreio has already recovered more than 13,300 cell phones since its beginning. Around 6,000 devices were returned to their owners, and more than 900 people were arrested in actions related to robberies, thefts and cell phone hacking.

Source: CNN