Helicopter Arrival, Confiscated Cell Phone, and Critique of Major Banks – How the Owner of Master Reacted to Airport Arrest

Daniel Vorcaro reacted calmly, according to a person who witnessed the operation. His cell phone was taken by the officer, and he was then escorted out of the airport. He was wearing a blazer and a shirt without a tie, about to take off, as his team would later say, to Dubai. But he was arrested before that. The arrest warrant had been requested by the Federal Police (PF) and the Federal Public Ministry for about two weeks. The request included other arrests, a total block of R$ 16.7 billion from companies and individuals linked to the entrepreneur, and search warrants.
Last week, the PF was informed that the response to the request would be issued by the Justice system on Monday night, according to the same source. This advance communication is common in operations involving arrests, as a way to alert the police. That’s exactly what happened. With the expectation that the approval for detention would come on Monday, Federal Police started monitoring Vorcaro closely.
It was through monitoring the banker’s movements that the police learned he was getting ready to travel. In advance, a team from the Federal Police stationed themselves at Cumbica. Vorcaro arrived at the airport to board the jet that, according to his team, was heading to the United Arab Emirates to meet with investors. He went to the private departure lounge for those flying on private aircraft to wait for clearance for takeoff. Shortly after, a police officer approached him and arrested him.
Among PF agents, the question is whether Vorcaro had been informed of the arrest warrant and decided to leave Brazil to avoid it. His cell phone, held by the police, could contain evidence confirming an escape plan or just coincidence of dates. While the arrest warrant had already been issued, Master and Vorcaro were circulating information about an offer to buy by Fictor Group, with investments in food, payments, real estate, and energy sectors. Meanwhile, the Central Bank was preparing for the extrajudicial liquidation of Master.
According to sources close to the police operation, the news about the Fictor Group’s offer was a surprise. Investigators in Brasília consider the proposal a distraction tactic. Hours before his arrest, Vorcaro participated in a teleconference with BC’s inspection director. The online meeting, according to BC’s official schedule, took place from 1:30 to 2:10 pm. The focus of the PF investigation is on negotiations of credit portfolios transferred by Master to BRB, suspected of being fraudulent. Vorcaro is a familiar figure to the PF, under scrutiny for at least three years over investment funds offered to municipal pension regimes. His involvement in consigned credit operations only recently caught authorities’ attention.
On the way from the airport to the PF headquarters in São Paulo, Vorcaro allegedly expressed being pressured by major banks in the country, accusing them of inhibiting his growth in the finance world. The Master’s owner was detained at the PF facility. (Contributed by Tiago Angelo and Gabriel Shinohara, from Brasília)