Eight people are arrested accused of selling environmental licenses to facilitate construction of properties in Bahia

Eight people were arrested this Wednesday (14) in Porto Seguro, in the extreme south of Bahia. They are accused of participating in a scheme to commercialize environmental licenses, via payment of bribes for the construction of real estate projects.

All are targets of “Operation Derrocada”, which also carried out search and seizure warrants at the homes and business addresses of 12 people.

According to information from the Public Ministry of the State of Bahia, the action was launched by the Special Action Group to Combat Criminal Organizations (Gaeco Sul), with support from the Federal Highway Police (PRF), Military Police (PM) and Gaeco do Espírito Santo.

Investigations indicate that the criminal group has been operating for years from within the Porto Seguro City Hall, with some of its members using their role as public servants to request or receive, directly or indirectly, undue benefits or accept promises of benefits that reveal a serial pattern of public corruption.

Furthermore, there are also situations of extortion and payment of bribes by businesspeople for the granting of environmental licenses.

According to Gaeco, the group of civil servants has been laundering the amounts paid by dissimulating and concealing the amounts received, causing harm to the public coffers, as they declare a lower value when selling the land received as payment for the illicit conduct carried out.