Brazilian police uncover major cocaine smuggling ring linking PCC to Italian mafia

Brazilian Federal Police have dismantled a sophisticated international drug trafficking operation, dubbed Narco Sky, which utilized at least seven maritime missions to transport significant cocaine quantities from Brazil to Europe. The investigation revealed a criminal network involving international leaders and Brazilian operatives connected to the powerful First Capital Command (PCC) faction.

The operation's findings led to the issuance of preventive arrest warrants for ten individuals. Among them is Serbian trafficker Antun Mrdeza, known as "Nikola Boros," who is reportedly a financial leader within the Italian mafia 'Ndrangheta, an organization allied with the PCC. The scheme is described by police as having "high scope and specialization," operating through three distinct units: one based abroad for financing and strategic decisions, a second managing logistics within Brazil, and a third handling the physical preparation, storage, and transport of cocaine.

Intelligence for Operation Narco Sky was gathered through international legal cooperation, including telematic data shared with the Federal Police. After meticulous analysis of encrypted communications, digital records, and messages, investigators reconstructed the criminal organization's structure, identified key members, and mapped the specific maritime operations used for smuggling.

One detailed mission involved the loading of approximately 340 kilograms of cocaine onto the ship Venezia in August 2020 while it was docked in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul. This complex operation was monitored in real-time by the traffickers, with individuals like Marco Aurélio de Souza coordinating logistics from São Paulo and Pedro Alonso Camacho Fernandez providing updates on the drug's proximity to the port. Both Souza and Fernandez are targets of arrest warrants issued by the Federal Court of Santos.

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high scope and specialization