Revenue authority and São Paulo's civil police unite against money laundering and organised crime
The integration between Sefaz-SP and the São Paulo civil police has already blocked more than R$ 1 billion in an investigation into money laundering in 2026.
Task force in São Paulo blocked more than R$ 1 billion in money laundering scheme
According to rcn67.com.br, the fight against organised crime in São Paulo has gained a new strategic axis: the integration between the civil police and the state revenue authority. The objective is to go beyond suppressing violence and directly attack the economic base of criminal organisations — tracking illicit money, interrupting its circulation and depriving criminals of the financial benefit from illegal activity.
In 2026, a task force brought together 100 police officers and 20 tax auditors from the Revenue Secretariat of the State of São Paulo (Sefaz-SP) to investigate a money laundering and asset concealment scheme that moved at least R$ 1.1 billion. The operation resulted in the blocking of amounts exceeding R$ 1 billion, demonstrating in practice the effectiveness of joint action between police intelligence and tax intelligence.
Various integrated operations have been conducted to identify crimes of tax evasion, money laundering and asset protection mechanisms. Investigations cover natural and legal persons, financial flows and business structures used to conceal illegally obtained assets.
Operational cooperation and financial asphyxiation tools
The partnership between the civil police and the São Paulo revenue authority goes beyond simple information sharing. Among the measures adopted simultaneously or alternatively are the suspension of state registrations for legal entities, taxation and asset forfeiture. The identification of beneficial owners behind business structures is pointed to as central to the strategy.
Asset recovery is treated as a priority from the outset of proceedings. The model followed encompasses the stages of identification, tracking, assessment, freezing, seizure and confiscation — both through criminal conviction and through tax mechanisms or confiscation not based on conviction.
This approach is aligned with international treaties assumed by Brazil, which require the criminalisation of money laundering as a predicate offence of serious criminal violations and the adoption of effective asset recovery mechanisms.
Continuity agenda
As a topic for deepening, the integration envisages the strengthening of secure channels for data exchange, the development of financial intelligence from the outset of knowledge of criminal facts and the expansion of capacity to locate, seize and manage illicit assets. Continuous qualification of the public agents involved also forms part of the agenda.
The central argument of the initiative is that depriving criminal organisations of the economic capacity to finance new activities, corrupt agents and expand their area of operations is, ultimately, a way of protecting citizens and reducing the capacity to produce violence. The premise that guides the work is direct: crime should not be economically advantageous.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo