PARÁ – Smuggling from China causes losses of R$90 million to public coffers

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF), the Federal Revenue Service (RFB), and the Federal Police (PF) launched Operation Underbill, targeting a large-scale scheme involving tax evasion, smuggling, and currency evasion. The business group under investigation is estimated to have caused losses of approximately R$90 million to the public coffers.

According to the institutions, the investigation originated from the analysis of tax assessments of importing companies, which revealed evidence of under-invoicing, fraudulent declarations, and concealment of true beneficiaries . The fraud involved not only manipulating the value of goods but also attempting to weaken customs oversight by circumventing the correct identification and quantification of products.

The financial transactions of those investigated revealed transactions inconsistent with their declared income , as well as evidence of money laundering and concealed assets . Among the main fraudulently imported products were shipments from China, which arrived in Brazil through the ports of Belém and Vila do Conde, Pará . The items were subsequently distributed to other states, such as Amazonas, Maranhão, Ceará, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo , demonstrating the criminal network's nationwide reach.

The operation involved 50 federal police officers and 17 Federal Revenue Service auditors , who executed 12 search and seizure warrants in Belém , issued by the 4th Federal Criminal Court of the Judicial Section of Pará. In addition, the court ordered the freezing of R$26 million in assets and financial resources , a measure designed to prevent the continuation of illicit activities and to ensure resources for eventual reparations to the public treasury.

Those investigated may be charged with smuggling, tax evasion, currency evasion, money laundering, intellectual property rights violations, and organized crime . The seized material is still under analysis and may reveal new individuals involved in the scheme.

Operation Underbill highlights the fragility of port control mechanisms in Brazil, especially in the Amazon region, where the flow of goods is intense and inspection faces logistical challenges.

Belém and Vila do Conde: illegal cargo

The use of the ports of Belém and Vila do Conde as a gateway for irregular cargo is noteworthy not only for its economic impact, but also for the risk of forming organized and locally rooted criminal networks with interstate connections .

Another critical point is the recurrence of this type of fraud linked to imports from China—a practice that has already been identified in other operations in the country. Freezing assets, while important, is often insufficient to offset the loss caused to public coffers.

More than just repression, the case reinforces the need for investments in technological oversight, data integration, and strengthening customs to prevent criminal organizations from continuing to exploit loopholes in the system.

https://ver-o-fato.com.br/para-contrabando-da-china-da-prejuizo-de-r-90-milhoes-aos-cofres-publicos/