Brazil Launches New Crackdown on Multistate Copper-Theft Ring That Moved R$418 Million

Overview

• Civil Police opened a new phase of Operação Caminhos do Cobre on Feb. 23 with searches across Rio, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Tocantins, including 42 warrants targeting 31 suspects.
• Probes describe a structured network with theft, logistics, reception and finance cells that pulled underground cables at night using trucks and motorcycle lookouts, then laundered sales through scrap dealers with false invoices.
• Financial analysis flags R$417,954,201 in flows, with the main suspect moving R$97 million and a central company over R$90 million, as authorities seek seizure of vehicles and properties and the blocking of financial assets.
• Part of the stolen metal was received, split and hidden in areas controlled by the Comando Vermelho—Alemão, Penha and Morro do Urubu—where traffickers charged for protection, according to investigators.
• Raids seized R$131,000 in cash and electronics at a Mesquita warehouse and led to arrests, including a man caught in Campo Grande with Light-identified cables, while the broader effort since 2024 has tallied 430+ inspections, about 200 arrests and roughly 300 tonnes of metal seized.