46 charged by Federal Police in Operation Car Wash

Nearly five years after investigations initiated, Brazil’s Federal Police charged 46 people with criminal conspiracy, crimes against the national financial system, misrepresentation and money embezzlement. Among the indicted are also two exchange dealers accused of financing drug trafficking schemes. The Public Prosecution Office will now decide whether or not the cases will be taken to court.

Investigations started in 2009, in the state of Paraná, and culminated in the Operação Lava Jato, launched a month ago, during which $2.69 million worth of cash has been seized, along with 25 luxury vehicles. Three hotels and six mansions were made unavailable. This property belongs to members of four criminal organizations which specialize in money embezzlement, suspected of dealing in amounts totaling nearly over $4.5 billion over the last 3 years.

According to the Federal Police, the four criminal organizations, headed by exchange dealers, were not interconnected, but made common transactions related to money embezzlement.

Among those arrested during the operation are exchange dealers Alberto Yousseff and former Petrobras director Paulo Roberto Costa.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira