Latest news Brazil: Raid against billion-dollar fraud with adulterated fuel
A nationwide mega-raid in Brazil has uncovered a multi-billion-dollar scandal involving adulterated fuel and tax evasion. "The population throughout the country today experienced the biggest response by the Brazilian state to organized crime in our history to date," announced President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva via the X platform. Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski spoke of "one of the biggest operations against organized crime".
29.08.2025, 07:45
SDA
Operation "Carbono Oculto" ("Hidden Carbon"), which involved more than 1,400 officers in ten federal states, was directed against a criminal network controlled by the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) - one of the largest criminal organizations in Brazil, known for drug trafficking, money laundering and violent crime. According to the Ministry of Finance, investigators were able to convict not only lower-level officers but also the heads at the top of the network.
At least 7.6 billion reais (around 1.2 billion euros) are said to have been evaded in taxes, as the news portal "G1" reported, citing the authorities. According to investigators, the illegal import of methanol played a central role: the solvent was brought into the country in a roundabout way and used to dilute fuel.
According to the police, more than 40 investment funds and several fintechs were used to conceal the network's assets from the authorities. According to the investigators, around 1,000 petrol stations were involved in the manipulation and financial transactions and moved sums totaling around 52 billion reais (around 8.2 billion euros) between 2020 and 2024.
