On Tuesday morning (21) in Itajai and Itapema on the north coast of Santa Catarina and in Brusca in the Itajai valley, an anti-theft operation was launched. Search and seizure warrants were carried out at the homes of suspected members of the group responsible for the steel plate cargo theft that occurred in Barra Velha in October 2021.

Gang involved in cargo theft in South Carolina came into view – Photo: Citizens Police/Disclosure ND

The group is suspected of being involved in other cargo thefts across the state. The leader of the group, the person responsible for deactivating the (electrical) tracking system, the drivers and the consignee have already been identified by the police.

The operation, carried out by the DFRC (Delegacia de Furtos e Robbos de Cargas) and DEIC (State Directorate of Criminal Investigation), discovered that the leader of the group, on the run, has been stealing cargo for more than 20 years, especially in the state of São Paulo. The police are still looking for a suspect.

Search and seizure warrants were issued at the residences of the defendants and at a scrap metal trading company located in Brusca. All items collected during the investigations will be analyzed by the investigation team in order to identify other participants.