Brazilian Escobar launders money with material to combat covid

The Boeing 747-400F, a 400-ton freighter, landed at Florianopolis International Airport on June 11, 2020 from China. It had been 25 years since an aircraft of this size had landed in the capital of Santa Catarina.

The plane was loaded with 10 million protective masks against the coronavirus and hospital supplies also called PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). The information was that the products had been purchased by a private importer.

But, according to the Federal Police, the importation was carried out by a company investigated for suspected connection with the criminal organization led by the former Major of the Military Police of Mato Grosso do Sul, Sérgio Roberto de Carvalho, Major Carvalho, one of the biggest drug traffickers. in the world, sought after on five continents.

In Europe, the fugitive is called “Brazilian Escobar”, in reference to Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar. The PF says that between 2018 and 2019, Major Carvalho handled R$2.25 billion exporting 45 tons of cocaine to Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

According to the Federal Police, the “Brazilian Escobar” used the pandemic to launder money, importing supplies from China to combat covid-19, such as protective masks, testing equipment for the detection of coronavirus and infrared thermometers.

The discovery took place after the outbreak of Operation Enterprise, launched by the Federal Police on November 23, 2020 to combat money laundering with international drug trafficking. 66 arrest warrants were served.

Major Carvalho’s sister, Lucimara de Carvalho, 56, was one of those arrested. Federal agents seized her cell phone. PF investigations point out that she and her brother exchanged several messages through the WhatsApp application.

The agents learned that the “Brazilian Escobar” used a telephone line in Portugal to communicate with his sister about the use of aircraft, payments for ocean freight for importing clothes from China and making dollar deposits in Chinese bank accounts.

In one of the messages, Major Carvalho asks his sister to make contact in China with a woman named Kelly. The PF suspects it is the nickname of a Chinese woman. In another message, the two deal with the importation of thousands of testing equipment for covid-19, protective masks and thermometers.

The June 2, 2020 message confirms the import. PF investigations concluded that the operation was commanded by Major Carvalho.

In the period from June 6 to 13, 2020, Lucimara and Kelly continue to exchange messages.

Communications between the two confirm the takeoff of an aircraft from China transporting test equipment for covid-19 and protective masks to Brazil, using the logistics of the company suspected of being linked to the organization led by Major Carvalho.

Lucimara and Kelly also deal with the importation of infrared thermometers and also talk about chartering another aircraft. Also according to the Federal Police, images of hospital products financed in China were found on Lucimara’s cell phone.

There were still footage on the cell phone of the Boeing 747 taxiing at an airport in China before taking off for Brazil. In other messages, Major Carvalho reveals to his sister that he contracted coronavirus and comments on his intention to import hospital products from China to the United States.

The Federal Police found stored on Lucimara’s cell phone prints and court documents about “a lawsuit against the state of São Paulo regarding the apparent cancellation of a pledge of R$ 104.4 million for the purchase of 36 million protective masks.

For the PF, the documentation stored on the cell phone makes it clear that Major Carvalho’s organization tried to sell the masks imported from China to the State of São Paulo, financed with money from international drug trafficking obtained from the export of cocaine to Europe via ports. Brazilians.

A Federal Police report to which the report had access says that “apparently the deal was not concluded because of the termination of the contract by the State of São Paulo due to the delay in the delivery of the products”.

Home prison

The report contacted the office of lawyers Thiago Quintas Gomes and Herculano Xavier de Oliveira, defenders of Lucimara de Carvalho. An official said both are on vacation, traveling, and asked not to be disturbed.

Lucimara is accused by the PF of being part of the financial core of Major Carvalho’s criminal organization, taking care of accounting, shell companies and laundering assets for the group, including using a false document obtained in the state of Paraná.

Major Carvalho’s sister was indicted for money laundering but, according to information from the State Department of Penitentiary Administration, she is also responsible for association with drug trafficking and criminal organization. She was held in the Women’s Penitentiary of the Capital, in Carandiru, north of São Paulo, until July 9, 2021, when she was granted house arrest.

Lucimara’s lawyers claim in court petitions that there is no evidence that could link her to drug trafficking and money laundering, and that there is also no description of her illicit conduct.

According to the defenders, Lucimara has a good record, is primary and has always exercised a lawful occupation, with income compatible with the gains obtained legally throughout life, through work performed and by inheritance received.

The lawyers claim in the petitions that Lucimara is the sister of a Civil Police delegate, retired after long years of a career guided by ethics, dedication and without any functional fault.

In the petitions, the lawyers asked for house arrest for Lucimara, for humanitarian reasons, since she has chronic bronchitis, morbid obesity, psychiatric problems, in addition to anxiety and depressive disorders.