A task force composed of about 1,400 agents has targeted a billion-dollar scheme in the fuel sector involving members of the PCC (First Command of the Capital). The operation, named Hidden Carbon, was launched by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of São Paulo (MPSP), through the GAECO (Special Group for Combating Organized Crime), and has the support of various law enforcement agencies. The investigation reveals that the criminal scheme, involving the PCC, has caused losses of $7.6 billion in tax evasion.
The more than 350 targets are suspected of crimes against the economic order, fuel adulteration, environmental crimes, money laundering, tax fraud, and fraud. The irregularities were identified in various stages of the fuel production and distribution process. One of the main aspects of the investigated fraud involves the irregular import of methanol, which is diverted and used to adulterate fuel, generating billion-dollar profits for the criminal organization.
Their fraudulent profits were funneled into a complex criminal network that hides the true beneficiaries in societary and financial layers, especially in shell companies, investment funds, and payment institutions. These resources were used for the acquisition of sugar and alcohol plants and to expand the group’s criminal activities, which included distribution companies, transporters, and gas stations.
Financial transactions of the group pass through fintechs controlled by organized crime, with the majority of their client portfolio being companies in the sector. The choice of a payment institution instead of traditional banks aims to hinder the tracking of resources. The fintechs operated with parallel accounting, enabling transfers between companies and individuals without identifying the final beneficiaries.
In addition to criminal measures, the CIRA/SP (Interinstitutional Committee for Asset Recovery of the State of São Paulo) will take legal action to block assets sufficient to recover the estimated $7.6 billion in evaded taxes.
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