Operation arrests 11 members of a gang specializing in theft and money laundering The Civil Police of Pernambuco reported this Wednesday (15) that they dismantled an interstate gang specializing in millionaire thefts and money laundering. The scheme operated by robbing commercial establishments, especially perfumeries. It is estimated that the criminal organization generated almost R$12 million in revenue in two years. In total, eleven people were arrested (see video above). ? Receive g1 PE news on WhatsApp According to the police, the group operated in Pernambuco and the states of Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte and Alagoas. The investigations began in October 2025 after the break-in of a bank branch in Camaragibe, in Greater Recife. In a press conference, delegate João Paulo de Andrade, head of the Robbery and Theft Police Station (DPRF), explained that the criminal organization operated through shell companies. The operation was named "Fragrance of Crime", in reference to the recurring practice of robbing perfume chains. "The estimated loss to these perfume chain stores reaches R$2.4 million. In total, through financial analysis, we identified that they moved an amount greater than R$11.8 million over the two-year period", he stated. 11 arrest warrants were issued, six home search and seizure warrants were issued, as well as court orders to seize assets and block financial assets, all authorized by the 19th Criminal Court of Recife. Of the 11 people arrested, there were eight men and three women. One of the arrests was made in Itajaí (SC). Logistics of the crimes According to the police chief, the gang was divided into three groups. The first was responsible for the qualified theft of goods after breaking into establishments. Another group was responsible for turning off the power supply and using cameras and alarms at commercial locations targeted by the break-ins. The third part of the criminal organization played the financial role, with the task of hiding values ??and, later, reintroducing products into the formal economy. "The way these values ??were integrated into the formal economy was through shell companies, in the cosmetics, perfumes and dairy sectors", informed the delegate. According to the Civil Police, there was a kind of crime processing chain. Before breaking into the establishments, the suspects were mapping the area to turn off the power supply and access to the locations' security cameras. After the theft, a new, more sophisticated process of money laundering began, which used practices such as "smurfing", which works by distributing large amounts of money into numerous deposits of lower value, which would make financial tracking difficult by the authorities. The police also said that there is no suspicion of participation by employees of the companies and bank branches targeted in the break-ins. Operation Fragrance of Crime carries out arrest warrants against gang specializing in theft and money laundering Civil Police/Disclosure VIDEOS: most seen in Pernambuco in the last 7 days