Police launch operation against theft of oncology medicines

Investigations revealed that the gang moved more than R$33 million in just one year and used shell companies to put stolen material back on the market.

Agents carry out dozens of search and seizure and arrest warrants against members and leaders of the group. The investigations take place simultaneously in Complexo da Maré, in the north of Rio, in Baixada Fluminense, in addition to addresses in São Paulo, Goiás and Pará, with the support of police units in each state.

The blocking of R$30 million in bank accounts was also requested, in addition to the seizure of properties, luxury vehicles and other assets and values used by the gang to hide their assets.

According to the police, the investigative work identified a highly sophisticated and violent criminal organization, specialized in theft of shipments of oncology medications and immunosuppressants with high market value, which would be used in both the private and public health networks.

Crimes

The agents found the group's participation in at least 20 similar crimes in the last six months, in addition to financial transactions exceeding R$33 million in a period of one year, between 2025 and 2026, through the use of shell companies. Investigations indicated that the stolen material was reinserted into public health institutions across the country through bidding processes in the form of price taking.

The police identified different nuclei, each responsible for a stage of the operation: the nucleus of those who stole; the intermediate logistical-financial core; the final logistical-financial core; and the territorial support nucleus.

The investigation revealed that the scheme went far beyond the theft of transported cargo. After the criminal actions, the medicines were taken to areas dominated by the Third Pure Command (TCP), in Complexo da Maré, where the transshipment and redistribution of the cargo took place.

The criminal faction operated in territorial support, providing military support and protection to the group of robbers. Then, a second nucleus was responsible for storing, dividing and sending the stolen medicines.

To hide the origin of the products and send them to final recipients in different states across the country, the members used front companies, transport companies, delivery men and "soldiers". The teams identified members of the group responsible for enlisting transport company employees to obtain privileged information about routes and cargo.

The investigations showed that around 25 front companies, distributed between the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Goiás and Pará, were part of the financial organization of the criminal organization and were used to receive stolen medicines in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

According to the agents, the medicines were resold both to private hospitals and, in some cases, to public health institutions, through bidding processes in the form of price taking.

By offering prices lower than those practiced in the regular market, the group was able to insert products of criminal origin into the legitimate supply chain. The police also identified the leader of the criminal organization, a man with a long history of involvement in cargo theft.

According to the information collected, the scheme represents a serious threat not only to property, but also to public health.

"Oncology and immunosuppressant medications require strict temperature control and storage throughout transport. When kept in inappropriate conditions, they can lose their effectiveness, suffer contamination or even generate harmful substances," says the police.

Furthermore, the significant volume of stolen cargo can compromise the supply of health systems, directly impacting the treatment of cancer patients, transplant recipients and people with autoimmune diseases.

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