The Public Ministry of the State of Rio de Janeiro, through GAECO, carried out this Tuesday an operation against a criminal group that exploited the canteens installed in state prisons. The group, called "canteen mafia," maintained an illegal scheme for almost ten years to eliminate competition in the tenders destined for the administration of commercial spaces within prison units.
The criminal organization counted on the alliance of public agents to maintain control over the canteens, including the participation of an Undersecretary. The scheme consisted of frauding the bidding processes, ensuring that only companies linked to the group were winners and could commercially exploit the spaces inside the prisons.
According to GAECO, the damage caused by the scheme to public coffers exceeds R$ 25 million. The State Secretariat of Prison Police (Seppen) informed that it is participating in the operation and that the canteen activities in the prisons were terminated in 2024, as part of the measures to combat the irregularities.
