“The faction has already taken on the shape of a mafia”, says prosecutor about PCC commanding bus companies

In a press conference held in the early afternoon of this Tuesday (9) to detail Operation End of the Line, which targets municipal bus companies in São Paulo linked to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), prosecutor Lincoln Gakiya stated that “the faction has already taken on the appearance of a mafia”.

According to him, one of the mafia characteristics already observed in Italy is the infiltration of State powers. “They are already participating in bidding disputes in the municipal public authorities”, warned Gakiya.

In his speech, the prosecutor emphasized that no omission on the part of the public authorities was found.

The Court authorized the removal of the management of the companies targeted by the operation and the seizure of almost R$600 million in assets belonging to those being investigated. “No bus was hijacked”, clarified the prosecutor.

“There will be no type of stoppage of public transport services in the city of São Paulo”, he pointed out about possible consequences of the operation for the population.

On the same occasion, Mayor Ricardo Nunes stated that he has already appointed municipal interveners in the management of the companies mentioned in the operation.

SPTrans' planning director, Valdemar Gomes de Melo, will work at Transwolff and SPTrans' operations director, Wagner Chagas Alves, was appointed to Upbus.

The operation

Operation End of the Line, launched today (9) by the Public Ministry of São Paulo (MPSP), against two bus companies that operate municipal transport lines in São Paulo, served four preventive arrest warrants and 52 search and seizure warrants in the capital São Paulo and in other cities in the metropolitan region and in the interior.

Among those arrested are the owner of Transwolff (TW) Luiz Carlos Efigênio Pacheco, known as “Pandora”, and Robson Flares Lopes Pontes, director of the company.

According to the MPSP investigation, the companies Upbus and TW, which transport more than 700,000 passengers daily in the capital of São Paulo, are linked to the criminal faction Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and used to launder money obtained from various crimes, such as trafficking. of drugs and robberies.

In Tuesday's action, more than 800 ammunition, 161 thousand reais in cash, 3,290 dollars, two gold bars, jewelry, watches and various documents were seized.