Haddad says fuel import fraud reaches billions of reais

Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, stated on Friday (19) that frauds in fuel imports could reach billions of reais in Brazil. Earlier, the Federal Revenue initiated Operation Carbon Chain, seizing two ships with R$ 240 million in suspicious cargoes. ‘What is currently mapped, in terms of what could be the object of today’s operation, involves R$ 240 million in fuel merchandise. However, as a routine practice of this corruption scheme, we are indeed talking about billions of reais,’ the minister said. ‘If we consider the scheme and how long it has been dodging mechanisms, then we are talking about billions of reais,’ Haddad added, referring to the volume of goods involved in the scheme.
The Carbon Chain Operation targeted fraud in the importation and commercialization of fuels, oil, and derivatives. The action occurred in 5 states: Alagoas, Amapá, Paraíba, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. According to the Federal Revenue, companies with little structure and limited financial capacity have emerged as responsible for million-dollar cargoes. Suspicions are that these companies are being used as fronts to conceal the true owners of the goods and the money flow.
Haddad announced, in a press conference, that the Revenue will publish a new rule to adjust the advance clearance rules for goods. The text aims to prevent fraud and strengthen control over fuel and its derivatives imports. Customs clearance is the process of releasing imported goods. In it, the Revenue verifies if the documents are correct, if the cargo matches what was declared, and if all taxes and fees have been paid.
The ministry also defended the approval of the law punishing habitual debtors, currently under consideration in the National Congress. According to Haddad, the law ‘is very important for Brazil,’ which has ‘very loose legislation regarding repeat offenders.’ ‘We are on the verge, perhaps, of the definitive vote on the law punishing habitual debtors. The Senate, after the Hidden Carbon Operation, responded by approving a report endorsed by the Federal Revenue, authored by Senator Efraim Filho,’ the minister said.
The inspectors visited 11 targets on Friday, where they analyzed the structure and operational capacity of the companies. Documents and testimonies from responsible individuals were collected, in addition to verification of requirements for the granting of federal and state tax benefits. Cargoes from 2 ships in Rio de Janeiro were seized, valued at around R$ 240 million, containing crude oil, fuel, and condensed oil. Storage facilities and terminals in São Paulo are also under scrutiny.
These practices are linked to crimes such as money laundering, currency evasion, and tax evasion. In such cases, the law allows for the seizure or forfeiture of goods. The next steps of the operation include deepening fiscal audits on the involved companies, tracing the chain of importation contracts and documents, analyzing the detailed financial flows used in operations, and identifying and holding accountable the ultimate beneficiaries. The Revenue is also investigating large corporate groups using complex contracts to conceal the true masterminds of the operations. This Friday’s action mobilized 80 employees, 20 vehicles, an operational aircraft, and a surveillance helicopter.