The Civil Police launched, this Friday (29), another phase of Operation Containment against the financial arm of Comando Vermelho in the state of Rio. During the actions, 24 people were arrested, among them is Raquel Neves dos Santos Mendonça, wife of Antônio Ilário Ferreira, Rabicó. He He is the head of drug trafficking in the Salgueiro Complex, in São Gonçalo, and is also wanted.
The investigation indicates that the group moved more than R$ 453 million in a money laundering scheme linked to drug trafficking, mainly in the Salgueiro Complex.
The operations took place simultaneously in municipalities in Rio de Janeiro, including the capital, São Gonçalo, Duque de Caxias, Itaboraí, Iguaba Grande, Armação dos Búzios, and São João de Meriti, as well as cities in São Paulo, Paraná, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Maranhão.
According to the Drug Enforcement Division of the Capital (DRE-CAP), the investigation lasted about a year and four months and revealed an interstate structure aimed at concealing and circulating drug trafficking money.
Shell companies and multi-million dollar transactions
According to the investigations, the scheme used recycling companies and scrap yards to give a legal appearance to illicit funds. Police also point to the use of pass-through bank accounts, fragmented cash deposits, and the issuance of fake invoices.
According to the corporation, Rabicó was responsible for managing shell companies, bank transactions, and concealing assets.
Agents identified intense money circulation between companies linked to the group, as well as multimillion-dollar transfers made by recycling firms to accounts controlled by those under investigation.
Copper burning and money laundering
During the investigation, DRE teams monitored areas used for the clandestine burning of copper cables and establishments linked to the alleged financial operator of the faction. Police believe these activities were part of the criminal group's money laundering scheme.
The amounts of money involved were identified from reports by COAF (Council for Financial Activities Control), bank analyses, breaches of confidentiality, and cross-referencing of financial and asset data.
The operation had the support of several units of the Civil Police and the Military Police, including agents from CORE and BOPE. According to investigators, the objective of the actions was to weaken the financial structure that sustains drug trafficking in the state.
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