The arrest of businessman and sportsman Ruan Arnaud Brockveld with more than 700 kg of cocaine last year would have been the “trigger” for the Facção Litoral operation launched by the federal police this Tuesday (18), which resulted in the seizure of more than Rs. $37 million in assets from members in towns along Santa Catarina’s north coast.

The operation was also subjected to luxury real estate – Photo: Federal Police / Disclosure / ND

Through the interception of conversations, the police would have reached out to a group that operates throughout the country. Weapons and drugs will be sent from Santa Catarina to other states.

Even before Brockveld’s arrest, police attention was drawn to evidence of several seizures of weapons on highways across the country, which were obtained from Santa Catarina. Among them, “alarming” was the seizure by the PRF (Federal Highway Police) of 35 handguns and six rifles in a town in the Baixada Fluminense (RJ) region in November 2021.

During the investigations, the OF also uncovered money laundering offenses through the purchase of luxury real estate, luxury cars and concealment of assets in the name of another person. Only two of the confiscated luxury cars are already worth more than 3 million reais.

In addition to arrest warrants, 12 warrants for confiscation of property, 36 warrants for confiscation of vehicles and ships were issued, totaling more than 37 million reais, as well as blocking the bank accounts of 32 individuals and companies subject to investigation, the amounts of which are still to be cleaned up.

The operation was called Facção Litoral because of the involvement of members of the criminal group and because they were based in coastal cities of the state. According to preliminary information, Brockveld was engaged only in drug trafficking, and not in other crimes.

Persons under investigation must be held accountable for crimes related to firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, participation in a criminal organization, and money laundering, the maximum punishment for which in the aggregate exceeds 30 years in prison.

The message attempted to contact Ruan Brockveld’s defense on the phone numbers available on social media, but did not receive a response prior to the publication of this message. The space remains open.