Source: O Norte - PB - 18/08/2009

A joint operation involving the Civil Police, the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaecco) of the Public Ministry, and Rodoviária Federal was launched yesterday morning. About 26 liters of fuel were found by the police.

All gallon action took place in the public square. Arnaldo (photo below) was arrested in the act with material

Photo: Fabyana Mota / ON / DA Press

The operation called “Sangria” arrested 12 people, including a truck driver and 11 traders, involved in the adulteration of the product. In the operation, a truck was also apprehended in Santa Rita, 12km away from the capital. In total, seven cities served as sales points for the altered product: Santa Rita, Mamanguape, Alhandra, Cabedelo, Pedra Fogo, Ingá and Gurinhém and in João Pessoa, the latter with points in several neighborhoods. The police found two 16-gauge shotguns that would serve to protect the transportation of fuel.

The gang was specialized in theft, adulteration, storage and sale of fuel. The base point of the action was the city of Cabedelo, through Porto. The discovery of the scheme was made possible by several complaints made by calling 191. The State Public Ministry (MPE / PB) had been investigating the case for more than six months.

The unemployed Arnaldo Genésio de Oliveira, 34, was arrested and sent to the 9th District Police Station of Mangabeira, accused of participating in the criminal organization. In an interview with O Norte, he said he had nothing to do with the case and just bought the product, a bucket worth R $ 22,50. “I work as a driver, transport people from Cabedelo to João Pessoa and just bought gasoline”, Arnaldo said.

The operation started out of the fear of the population. People who live close to these clandestine deposits, fearful of the imminent danger of fires and explosions that were exposed, insistently called the Federal Highway Police Operations Center to file a complaint. “People were afraid of explosions and made these complaints. These calls were recurring, ”commented Inspector Walker, coordinator of the PRF's Communication Department. Departing from the addresses where these denunciations pointed out, the Public Ministry began to investigate the case. With the beginning of the investigations, the evidence was verified, which made the agency take the information to the attention of the State Public Ministry and the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaecco), which requested the continuation of the investigations, the collection evidence and ordered the court orders issued yesterday during the operation.