PCPA dismantles criminal association involved in virtual sexual extortion
Operation seized mobile devices and has already forwarded them for forensic analysis
The Civil Police of Pará launched Operation Prisma and executed four preventive arrest warrants and five search and seizure warrants related to sexual extortion crimes committed through virtual means. The operation took place on Thursday (26) in the states of Pará and Paraná, through the Division for Combating Crimes Against Vulnerable Groups Committed by Cyber Means (DCCV), of the State Directorate for Combating Cyber Crimes (DECCC), with the support of the Special Police Operations Center (COPE) and the Cybercrime Combat Center of the Civil Police of Paraná (PR).
The action stemmed from investigations conducted by the Civil Police of Pará, and the warrants were issued by the 1st Court of Police Inquiries and Precautionary Measures of Belém. The operation is part of the work that investigates and dismantles extortion crimes, specifically sexual extortion committed through virtual means, in addition to promoting the confrontation of criminal associations that operate on the internet against the safety of the population of Pará.
During the operation, the four suspects, three men and one woman, were arrested preventively in the city of Curitiba (PR). They are accused of obtaining intimate videos of a victim residing in Pará and, from that, practicing extortion through messages sent via fake profiles on social networks. The criminals demanded that the victim make bank transfers, under the threat of disclosing the intimate material, charging more than R$ 40,000.
“Four preventive arrests were made in Curitiba, and five search and seizure warrants were executed, four in the capital of Paraná and one in Belém. During the action, several mobile devices were seized and forwarded for forensic analysis, with the aim of deepening the analysis of the material and gathering more evidence about the group's activities,” explained Delegate Lua Figueiredo, head of the DCCV.
The delegate also highlighted the importance of joint action between the security forces of the two Brazilian states. “The integration between the Civil Police of Pará and Paraná was essential for the success of the operation. We reinforce our commitment to qualified investigation and the protection of the population, especially in crimes involving the vulnerability of victims in digital environments,” she concluded.
The arrested individuals were forwarded for the necessary procedures and are at the disposal of the Justice. Investigations continue to determine if there are others involved in the crimes.
Text by Raphaela Rocha, under the supervision of Bruna Ribeiro
