A police operation against members of a criminal organization carried out 48 court-ordered warrants on Wednesday across four Brazilian states: Mato Grosso, Paraná, Goiás and São Paulo, on suspicion of drug trafficking and money laundering. According to the investigation, reported by G1 Mato Grosso, the group and companies linked to it moved more than 12 million reais (roughly 2.2 million dollars) between 2024 and 2025.

The operation, named Operação Dissolução Forçada ("Operation Forced Dissolution"), included 18 search and seizure warrants, the freezing of 24 bank accounts that could total up to 12 million reais, and the suspension of activities at six companies suspected of serving as fronts to move illicit funds.

In Mato Grosso, warrants were carried out in the cities of Sinop, Cuiabá, Várzea Grande, Rondonópolis and Matupá. The operation also reached Loanda, in the state of Paraná, Goiânia, the capital of Goiás, and the city of São Paulo.

How the scheme allegedly worked

Investigators suspect that funds obtained through criminal activity were funneled through individuals and companies in order to hide their illegal origin and give the money a legal appearance, a practice known as money laundering. Freezing the bank accounts and halting the six companies' operations aim to stop the money from continuing to circulate and to disrupt the criminal group's financial network.

Documents and materials seized during the operation will be analyzed by the Civil Police. The findings and any further seizures will be forwarded to the Sinop unit of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Division (Draco), which will continue the investigation to determine each suspect's degree of involvement in the scheme.