Overview
- The joint Polícia Federal and Receita Federal operation called Benaia executed 24 search warrants on Tuesday and focused on a senior Receita official who is accused of taking at least R$2 million in bribes to favor businesses in customs procedures.
- Agents seized R$515,000 in cash, 15 luxury watches and multiple electronic devices and the courts ordered the blocking of 25 properties, 19 vehicles and 65 bank accounts while also identifying records of accounts abroad.
- Receita Federal immediately suspended the suspect from duty and its corregedoria has revised earlier figures as investigators work to quantify losses that the agency estimates exceed R$10 million.
- Investigators say the official used family-linked companies, foreign accounts and third parties to hide payments and that businessmen paid personal expenses such as a reported R$14,000 monthly rent, travel and card bills.
- The case highlights how customs facilitation can be exploited because officials can speed or bypass checks that affect fees and penalties, and authorities say forensic review of seized material will be used to trace proceeds, identify more suspects and seek asset recovery.