The Federal Police (PF) started this Wednesday morning (10) the second phase of the Urban Fishing operation, to dismantle a criminal organization specializing in thefts in ATMs belonging to Caixa Econômica Federal agencies and other financial institutions.
In 2021 alone, 545 occurrences linked to the criminal organization were registered in PF units throughout Brazil.
Federal police officers serve 18 preventive arrest warrants, 34 search and seizure warrants and security measures for blocking assets in the states of São Paulo, Bahia, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso do Sul, Sergipe and Espírito Santo.
The group is being investigated by the PF units in Caxias do Sul (RS), Porto Alegre (RS), Salvador (BA), Palmas (TO), Maringá (PR) and Aracaju (SE).
The investigations were also supported by the Public Security Task Force of the Federal Police in Uberlândia (MG) and with the collaboration of the Regional Superintendence of São Paulo.
investigations
Investigations began in January 2021, after the criminal organization attacked nine Caixa Econômica Federal agencies in Serra Gaúcha, resulting in the launch of the first phase of Operation Urban Fishing, in April.
After the start of the first phase of the operation, the criminal organization proceeded with attacks on Caixa Econômica Federal agencies in the regions of Greater Porto Alegre, the coast of Rio Grande do Sul and in other states.
According to the PF, today’s action is aimed at the arrest of members of the criminal organization, the seizure of new elements of evidence and goods acquired with the proceeds of the crimes to compensate for the damage caused.
Until the operation on Wednesday, 49 people involved with the criminal organization had already been arrested in the act of stealing from bank branches in several Brazilian states.
The investigated will answer for the crimes of aggravated theft, criminal organization and other criminal practices that may be identified following the investigations.
The operation was called Urban Fishing because of the system used by the criminal group to “hook” envelopes with values deposited at bank branches’ ATMs.
Preventive arrest warrants are served in São Paulo/SP (9), Aracaju/SE (2), Cariacica/ES (2), Florianópolis/SC (3), Três Lagoas/MS (1) and Vitória da Conquista/BA (1).
Search and seizure warrants are carried out in São Paulo/SP (33) and Atibaia/SP (1).
Reference: CNN Brasil
