Source: Diário de Pernambuco Online - Recife / PE - ECONOMY - 29/05/2010

The Finance Secretariat yesterday started an operation to dismantle a gang that evaded taxes through diversion and adulteration of fuel alcohol. The action began at dawn on Friday, when it was flagrant at two gas stations - one in Vitória de Santo Antão and the other in Abreu e Lima. A little earlier, Sefaz and the Police Station for Combating Crimes Against the Tax Order (Decot) had already closed a mechanical workshop, which functioned as a front for the redistribution of diverted ethanol. It is estimated that the scheme would divert 2 million liters of ethanol per month, equivalent to the tax evasion of R $ 1 million.

“The seized fuel was purchased in Araxá, Minas Gerais. The plant sold legally to a company registered in Maranhão, which probably does not exist. But in fact the fuel was unloaded in Pernambuco ”, explained delegate Francisco Rodrigues, from Decot. Seven people were detained during the night, five of whom remained in prison for a crime against the popular economy (Art. 1, of Law 8.176 / 1991), whose sentence varies from one to five years in prison. Altogether, 110 thousand liters of ethanol were seized.

Drivers João Oliveira Batista, 49, were arrested; Marcos da Mota Barros, 47 years old; and Walter Luiz dos Santos, 44 years old; the assistant Marcos Rogério Rodrigues, 52 years old; and Paulo Fernando Ferreira Filho, 23, owner of the Imperial mechanical workshop in Vitória de Santo Antão, which served as a front for the unloading of diverted ethanol. The drivers José Cícero da Silva and Gilberto Ciriaco da Silva were also detained, but released after giving testimony - for having been detained before they started to transfer the fuel, making the act uncharacteristic.

According to the coordinator of Operation Fuel, Anderson Freire, the investigation began two months ago. As the amount of fuel seized was much greater than estimated by Sefaz, just yesterday morning the investigators decided to carry out an action in 40 stations in the Metropolitan Region of Recife that show signs of reselling the ethanol diverted in the dismantled scheme during the night.

“There are signs of adulteration and we are doing the analyzes to prove it. In fact, we can say that they discharged ethanol in a kind of vat and there is likely to be adulteration. The tax fraud scheme has become very sophisticated and therefore the investigation is also more complex ”, explained Anderson Freire. According to the operation coordinator, about 30 million liters of ethanol are sold per month in Pernambuco. Until next Monday, 21 policemen and 60 auditors from Sefaz will be inspecting the stations to prove the irregular sale of fuel.