HomeNewsBriefBrazil's PCC Gang Worked with Italian Mafia
BRIEF

Brazil's PCC Gang Worked with Italian Mafia

BRAZIL / 4 NOV 2014 BY ELYSSA PACHICO EN

Federal authorities in Brazil say they have identified a man who worked as a contact between Italy's 'Ndrangheta mafia and Brazil's PCC criminal group -- allegedly the first time authorities have been able to establish a relationship between these two groups.

Estadão reported that Brazil's Public Prosecutor's Office (also known as the Public Ministry) filed a complaint that identified a man referred to as "Dido" as the primary contact between the First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando Capital - PCC) and the Italian crime group.

The complaint stems from an operation carried out earlier this year in the country's largest port city, Santos, in the state of São Paulo, where federal police seized more than three tons of cocaine -- shipped into São Paulo from Bolivia -- and arrested nearly two dozen people. Several of those detained were alleged members of the PCC. 

A federal police intelligence report dated in February, obtained by Estadão, reportedly tracked Dido's text messages with PCC members as they coordinated drug shipments from the port. In these messages, Dido said that the cocaine would first move through one of Italy's largest sea ports and was ultimately destined for Naples, a hub for European organized crime.  

Estadão reported that Brazilian authorities cooperated with Italian police and US agency the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in investigating this cocaine trafficking operation. 

InSight Crime Analysis

The massive seizure of cocaine from Santos earlier this year was an indication that the PCC is more than capable of running operations linked to the overseas drug trade, in addition to handling marijuana and cocaine shipments destined for regional and domestic markets. 

SEE ALSO: Coverage of European Organized Crime

The PCC would have had to rely on a knowledgeable contact on the European end in order to plan -- and if all had gone well, execute -- such a massive cocaine shipment. The 'Ndrangheta, which officials have said handles up to 80 percent of Italy-bound cocaine, has previously proven adept at establishing ties with Latin American criminal groups -- primarily in Colombia and Mexico, but also in other countries in the region. Earlier this year, Peru arrested an Italian national accused of moving cocaine from Latin America on the 'Ndrangheta's behalf, and more recently, an alleged top-ranking member of this group was arrested in Argentina

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BRAZIL / 2 DEC 2022

Illegal gold mining in the remote Ecuadorian province of Napo has grown at a staggering rate. Environmental crime has grown…

BRAZIL / 17 MAR 2023

A report on the global cocaine trade has revealed how cocaine purity is rising in Europe and how Africa is…

COCAINE EUROPE / 2 DEC 2022

An increase in seizures of tusi, or pink cocaine, in Spain could mean that this synthetic drug cocktail could be…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…