Rio Police Dismantle Comando Vermelho Money Laundering NetworkThe Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro initiated another phase of Operation Containment on Wednesday, targeting the territorial expansion and money laundering structure of the Comando Vermelho (CV) criminal faction. This latest action focused on dismantling a network of receptação (fencing) of stolen materials, such as copper cables, operating from scrap metal yards in the central region of Rio de Janeiro.
According to investigators, this criminal cycle provided funds for the purchase of weapons and helped maintain the faction's territorial dominance. Agents from the Delegacia de Roubos e Furtos (DRF - Robbery and Theft Police Station) were deployed to execute 80 search and seizure warrants at addresses linked to 50 individuals under investigation.
The operation extended beyond the capital city to include Niterói, Duque de Caxias, Magé, and Italva. Police stated that the criminal group was based in the communities of Fallet-Fogueteiro, Prazeres, and Morro da Coroa.
Of the 50 identified suspects, 13 already had outstanding arrest warrants and are considered fugitives. Teams executing warrants in the complex of favelas were met with gunfire, resulting in one officer being shot in the hand.
The Civil Police identified Paulo Cesar Batista de Castro, known as "Paulinho Fogueteiro," as the head of the criminal organization. Another key target is Wesley Paes de Souza, linked to the scheme's financial nucleus. Police also noted that some of the suspects used social media to display weapons, drugs, alcohol, and money.