Supermarkets in RR and AM are targets of operation for smuggling indigenous gold

Ana Pastana – From Cenarium Amazon Magazine

MANAUS (AM) – On Wednesday, the Federal Police (PF) launched three operations in the states of Roraima, Amazonas and Tocantins, investigating a criminal organization that smuggled illegal gold involving businessmen, including the owners of the “Nova Era” and “Big Amigão” supermarkets. The organization is suspected of having moved R$ 5.7 billion in the last three years. Brubeyk Nascimento, considered by the PF to be Brazil’s main smuggler, was arrested on suspicion of running the scheme.

In Roraima, the operation was called “Eldorado”, which investigates supermarkets for selling products in exchange for illegal gold extracted from indigenous lands in Venezuela, a country that borders the state. In Amazonas, the operation is “Emboabas”, focused on the “heating” of gold, which is the falsification of documents in order to sell the product. In Tocantins, the operation was called “Lupi”, which involved the illegal extraction and sale of gold. In all cases, the criminals also sold gold to other countries (export).

Four preventive arrest warrants, 48 search and seizure warrants were carried out in the cities of Boa Vista (RR), Pacaraima (RR), Normandia (RR), Manaus (AM), Anápolis (GO), Campo Lindo de Goiás (GO), Tucumã (PA), Santa Maria das Barreiras (PA), Ourilândia do Norte (PA), Ilha Solteira (SP), Uberlândia (MG) and Areia Branca (RN), as well as other precautionary measures.

During the police investigation, the Federal Police identified the possible existence of a criminal group, whose modus operandi includes the following illegal activities: extraction of ore in prohibited areas, ideological falsehood, money laundering and the subsequent transportation, marketing and export of illegal gold.

Operation Emboabas, carried out in the state of Amazonas, identified evidence of gold smuggling to Europe after the arrest of a person who was carrying 35 kilos of gold and intended to deliver it to two Americans, partners in a company in New York, in the United States.

The investigation revealed that the criminal organization acquires gold from indigenous lands and riverbeds with the use of dredges and, through fraud, declares that the gold was extracted in regularly constituted mining permits (PLG).

It was also identified that the main target heats up the gold through an Austrian who has become a naturalized Brazilian citizen and claims to have more than R$ 20 billion in gold bars in a supposedly independent country created by the person under investigation.

Those being investigated will face charges of usurping federal assets, criminal organization, money laundering, illegal gold mining, smuggling, ideological falsehood, receiving stolen goods and other criminal offenses.

‘New Era’

The operation also targeted supermarkets based in Manaus (AM) and Boa Vista (RR), suspected of transporting illegal gold extracted from indigenous land in food export trucks. The illegal transportation was done overland to Venezuela, where the products were paid for with gold from Yanomami Land.

When contacted, the Nova Era supermarket chain confirmed that PF agents had been to the company’s administrative building. Supermercado Nova Era sent a note to the press confirming that it was one of the targets of the operation and said it would cooperate with the investigations.

“Mercantil Nova Era hereby informs that on Wednesday morning, 20, it received a visit from Federal Police (PF) agents at its administrative building with the aim of collecting information related to export sales. The entire MNE team was instructed to collaborate with the PF investigation, providing all the requested documents and necessary access”, it wrote.

Simultaneous

In addition to the operation launched in Amazonas, “Emboabas”, the Federal Police also simultaneously launched “Operation Eldorado” and “Operation Lupi” in the states of Roraima and Tocantins, respectively, to combat the smuggling of illegal gold.

In Eldorado, the PF arrested suspected leaders of a scheme to smuggle and sell gold extracted from illegal mines, which would have generated almost R$6 billion. Two preventive arrest warrants and 40 search and seizure warrants are being carried out in Roraima, Amazonas, Goiás and the Federal District.

According to PF the scheme involves the smuggling of Venezuelan gold, which was smuggled into Brazil as payment for the export of food to markets in Roraima and Amazonas.

In Tocantins, Operation Lupi is the result of investigations carried out in “Operation Kukuanaland” and “Operation Bullion”, launched in February and May this year by the Federal Police. In this stage, five search and seizure warrants and one preventive arrest warrant are being carried out by federal police officers in Anápolis, Goiás, and Manaus, Amazonas.