PF arrests 24 involved in fuel adulteration
By Solange Spigliatti, Agencia Estado, 20/05/2006
The Federal Police today arrested 24 people (10 in Bahia and 14 in São Paulo) accused of involvement in a tax evasion and fuel adulteration scheme, which operated in both states. Among the prisoners are owners of gas stations, cargo resellers billed with false invoices, drivers, sales representatives, managers and directors of industries and companies, in addition to the president of the National Union of Wholesale Oil Solvents Trade (Sindsolv). Marcos Angelo Giacomini, representative of the Bandeirante solvent factory, and the dealer Adão Gérson Aparecido Grizzo were also arrested.
Operation Pólo, carried out in conjunction with the Public Ministry and the Treasury Department of the State of Bahia, also carried out 35 search and seizure warrants. In total, federal police officers have 26 arrest warrants to serve.
The illegal scheme consisted in the purchase of solvents from São Paulo distributors by ghost companies in the State of Bahia, with the intention of adulterating fuels and evading taxes. The scheme distributed an average of six trucks a day, each with 35 or 45 thousand liters of solvents.
The operation was named the Polo in allusion to the place where the companies that should receive the diverted goods in the State of Bahia are located. It is estimated that in a single company that was part of the scheme, it evaded around R$ 3,5 million in just three months of last year.
