A criminal organization charged up to US$20,000 from people who came mainly from the Middle East, then withheld the documents and kept the immigrants in private prison in Brazil. The scheme was dismantled in an operation by the Federal Police carried out this Thursday (2nd).
According to the PF, the criminal organization would have moved 50 million reais in the last 3 years with the international trafficking of people and illegal migration. The operation takes place simultaneously in São Paulo, Roraima, Amazonas and Acre, with the fulfillment of 14 search and seizure warrants.
The criminal organization operated between Bangladesh, Suriname, Guyana and Brazil.
The scheme is headed by a Bengali citizen – an ethnic group that lives between India and Bangladesh – who, according to the police, brought other members of his ethnic group to Brazil illegally.
He even had his name included on the Interpol list. The gang leader was recently arrested in Colombia and extradited to Brazil.
The PF also claims that the migrants were held in prison by the gang due to non-payment of extra fees during the trip.
The victims, who had their documents withheld, were coerced into giving false notice of loss of documentation before the Civil Police of Roraima.
Reference: CNN Brasil