The Civil Police of São Paulo on Thursday launched Operation False Mercury against an organization suspected of providing money laundering services to a criminal organization. According to information from the newspaper O Globo, the organization is Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC).
According to information from the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat (SSP), agents of the State Department of Criminal Investigation (Deic) issued 54 warrants – six for arrest and 48 for search and seizure, in the capital and greater São Paulo.
The court ordered the confiscation of 49 properties, three ships, and 257 vehicles in the name of those investigated. The accounts of at least 20 individuals and 37 other companies were blocked.
According to the Public Prosecution’s memorandum, investigations conducted by the Third General Investigation Department showed that criminals had created a “sophisticated structure” to launder money from crimes such as drug trafficking, embezzlement, and gambling.
The network works with three main groups: collectors of illicit sums; intermediaries responsible for transferring and hiding resources; And the ultimate beneficiaries, who received the money that was actually laundered.
“Those involved in the crime lived a life of luxury and earned millions from illicit activity,” Public Security Minister Osvaldo Nico Gonsalves said in a statement, adding that this was one of the largest civilian police operations against money laundering.
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