Organization linked to CV in AM used shopping centers and shell companies to launder money, says PF

Action fulfills 43 mandates and targets criminal organization; R$8 million is blocked The criminal organization linked to Comando Vermelho (CV) investigated in Amazonas for interstate drug trafficking used shopping centers, properties, vessels and front companies to launder illicit money in Manaus, according to the Federal Police (PF). The group moved more than R$35 million and invested part of the money in goods and projects in the capital of Amazonas. The information was released this Thursday (13), during Operation La Máquina, launched by the PF and the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco), of the Public Ministry of Amazonas (MPAM). The action targets members of the organization suspected of transporting drugs from the Amazon to other regions of the country. According to the PF, after obtaining money from drug trafficking, the group adopted different strategies to make it difficult to identify the origin of the resources. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp Among the practices investigated are the use of shell companies, deposits and fractional transfers, in addition to the movement of money by third parties. The members would also have purchased goods in the name of people who were not the true owners. The organization has also invested in different sectors. Investigators identified the acquisition of properties, vehicles, vessels, shopping centers and other projects in Manaus. Two shopping centers were identified by the investigation as part of the assets linked to the suspects. They are located in the Novo Aleixo neighborhoods, North Zone of Manaus, and Tancredo Neves, in the East Zone of the capital. The court ordered the seizure of these assets and 31 vehicles, valued at around R$3 million, in addition to the blocking of approximately R$7.7 million in financial assets. According to the PF, the more than R$35 million transferred by the group passed through individuals and companies linked to those being investigated. The values ??were considered incompatible with the economic activities declared by them. Weapons and money seized in Manaus during Operation La Máquina Reproduction/Rede Amazônica Planes were used to transport drugs The investigation showed that the group maintained a structure to transport drugs from the Amazon region to other states. For this, small planes, clandestine runways and pilots were used. The organization also had people responsible for financing, hiring and piloting the aircraft, in addition to maintenance and supply. After arriving at their destinations, the drugs were stored and distributed using river and land transport. The PF also identified signs that at least one aircraft had its identification tampered with. Investigators also pointed to the acquisition and financing of planes to expand the structure used to transport drugs. During the investigations, the PF carried out an aerial interception in the Tefé region, in the interior of Amazonas. Investigators also identified the disappearance of an aircraft during a flight near the border with Venezuela. According to the PF, the circumstances were compatible with a possible aircraft accident. Operation La Máquina According to the PF, Operation La Máquina seeks to dismantle the logistical and financial structure of the criminal organization linked to Comando Vermelho in Amazonas. More than 100 federal police officers participated in the action, which aimed to execute 13 preventive arrest warrants, 26 search and seizure warrants and four precautionary measures. Until the last update of this report, 10 people had been arrested. Among those arrested is Wellisson dos Santos Albarado, identified by investigations as head of the criminal organization's logistics center in Amazonas. According to the Federal Police, he spent most of his time in Rio de Janeiro, from where he sent orders and coordinated the group's activities in the state. g1 contacted Wellisson dos Santos Albarado's defense, who informed that he will only comment on the case after having access to the investigation. The name of the operation refers to the expression used by those investigated in intercepted communications to designate the aircraft used to transport drugs. The term appeared in conversations related to the so-called "freight" of drugs. Head of the CV's logistics center in Amazonas, Wellisson dos Santos Albarado, is arrested in an operation investigating trafficking with tampered planes Reproduction/Rede Amazônica