Two Men Arrested for Extorting Merchants in Confresa, Mato Grosso

Police in Confresa, Mato Grosso, detained two men, aged 30 and 44, early on Saturday after they demanded a periodic “fee” from local businesses. The suspects approached shop owners, claiming to have recently left prison and to be members of a criminal faction. They threatened violence, including arson and physical assault, if the payments were not made.

The first complaint came from a merchant on Avenida Industrial, who reported the duo driving a white Fiat Palio and demanding the monthly payment. Police tracked the vehicle to Avenida Brasil, followed it, and stopped the occupants on Avenida Santo Afonso. The driver showed signs of intoxication, confirmed by a breath‑alyzer test (0.71 mg/L). A gym owner also filed a report, stating the men threatened to set fire to the facility and break the legs of anyone who resisted.

Both suspects were taken to the Civil Police station and charged with extortion, intimidation, participation in organized crime, and, for the driver, drunk driving. The investigation remains ongoing.