Source: Correio da Paraíba - PB - 17/08/2009

Twelve people were arrested and 25.907 liters of alcohol, diesel and gasoline seized so far in a joint operation between the Federal Highway Police (PRF) and the Public Ministry (MP) aimed at combating the reception, theft and adulteration of fuels in Paraíba, mainly through adding water to gasoline.

So far, 11 (eleven) points of storage and clandestine sale of fuel have been blown up, which operated in houses in different districts of the Capital and in the cities of Santa Rita, Mamanguape, Alhandra, Pedras de Fogo, Cabedelo, Gurinhém and Ingá arrest in flagrante delicto of 12 people for acquiring, distributing and reselling oil products, natural gas and its recoverable fractions, ethyl alcohol, hydrated fuel and other liquid fuel fuels, in disagreement with the rules established by law.

60 federal highway police officers and 15 vehicles participated in the operation, in addition to 20 prosecutors.

According to Public Prosecutor Francisco Sagres, who is in charge of the operation by the Public Ministry, the detainees were sent to police stations in the capital, Santa Rita and Pedras de Fogo, where they will remain detained.

Operation Sangria would complement Operation 274, carried out in May 2007 by the same institutions and which resulted in the arrest of 16 people. It was the largest ever held in the state against entrepreneurs and managers of the fuel dealer and distributor network.