Rio de Janeiro Attorney General proposes financial strategy against organized crime

Antônio José Campos Moreira, the Attorney General of Rio de Janeiro, has proposed a strategic shift in combating organized crime by focusing on financial asphyxiation. Speaking at a meeting with business leaders, Moreira emphasized that traditional policing and the arrest of criminal leaders are no longer sufficient to dismantle modern factions.

The Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office (MPRJ) is prioritizing asset investigation and the recovery of assets to target the economic structures of these groups. Moreira noted that criminal organizations have evolved into business-like entities that compete with the legal economy, diversifying their revenue streams beyond drug trafficking into sectors such as gas sales, internet services, and real estate.

He described the territorial dominance of these factions as a matter of sovereignty that transcends public security, noting that their expansion creates unfair competition and significant economic losses for the state and municipalities through lost tax revenue.