Source: Correio da Paraíba - João Pessoa / PB - 19/10/2010

The Federal Police, with the support of the Federal Highway Police, the Military Police and the Internal Revenue Service, launched Operation Catenga this Tuesday morning (19), in order to dismantle one of the largest armed gangs in the Northeast involved in the illegal sale of contraband cigarettes, cigarettes stolen by cargo theft from regular companies, as well as cigarettes with a false seal of tax control.

The name, which means Gecko, is an allusion to the nickname used by one of the main targets of the Operation. The investigation began in September 2008 after a cigarette seizure in the city of Pombal / PB. Since then, based on a controlled action granted in court, it has been possible to make several flagrant arrests and cigarette seizures over the years 2009 and 2010.

With the deepening of the investigations it was possible to reach those responsible not only for the logistics of buying, selling and transporting the cigarette, but also for the financing of the criminal actions, which yielded expressive values, making it possible to purchase and flaunt various vehicles and properties.

The gang's modus operandi was the importation of cigarettes of Paraguayan origin, the robbery of deposits by regular companies and the purchase / sale of cigarettes with a false IPI stamp. Such goods were transported to the city of Patos / PB in trucks specifically prepared to hide the illicit cargo. After remaining in storage in this city, the cargo was distributed in small cars to several cities in Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará.

In all, in addition to blocking the bank accounts of the main investigated persons, 13 (thirteen) preventive arrest warrants are being carried out in the states of Paraíba and Ceará, 16 (sixteen) search and seizure warrants in the states of Paraíba, Ceará, São Paulo and Paraná, as well as warrants for kidnapping and seizure of assets.