Billion-dollar grain smuggling scheme dismantled by PF

This Tuesday morning (5), the Federal Police launched operations Dangerous and Paschoal, to dismantle a criminal organization responsible for a billion-dollar grain smuggling scheme – especially soybeans and corn – and pesticides that were brought from Argentina to Brazil through of clandestine ports located on the banks of the Uruguay River.

The action mobilized 200 federal police officers to carry out 59 search and seizure warrants and 16 arrest warrants – 12 people were arrested and four remain at large. The orders were fulfilled in 11 cities in Rio Grande do Sul, one in Santa Catarina, one in São Paulo, one in Tocantins and one in Maranhão. Measures were also taken to block bank accounts linked to individuals and legal entities, totaling approximately R$58 million, in addition to the seizure of cars, luxury properties and an aircraft estimated at R$3.6 million reais.

The investigations, which began last year, found that the criminal organization is made up of three groups, which operate between the holders of the clandestine ports, the beneficiaries and resellers of the smuggled goods and the financial operators. Through money changers, the criminal group carried out various operations to promote debt evasion and pay suppliers of goods abroad. Two of the companies used for this purpose acquired crypto assets worth R$1.2 billion.

For the Police, the entire operation was carried out using fraudulent documentation, such as notes from rural producers released to justify the large volume of smuggled grains sold or issued by shell companies. The volume of internalized goods meant that the criminal organization generated a turnover of more than R$3.5 billion in the last five years.