"Gatos" refer to clandestine energy and water connections, irregular internet services, and international networks that use pirated equipment to commit cyber crimes. The topic was debated at the Illegal Market seminar, held in Brasília. The event brought together specialists to discuss the scale of these illegal markets.
Francisco Lucas Costa Veloso, National Secretary of Public Security, made a distinction between two distinct phenomena. On one side are consumers who seek advantages by knowingly contracting illegal services, even outside areas controlled by criminals. At the other extreme are residents of territories where organizations control the supply of services and turn the population into a captive market.
According to the Secretary, criminal groups that previously used economic activities mainly to launder resources realized these markets could become independent businesses. Organized crime identified that migrating to the illegal market represents fewer risks compared to other criminal activities.
