Mato Grosso police expose criminal scheme involving religious group in prison

The Mato Grosso Civil Police, through Operação Fariseus, has uncovered a scheme where members of the religious project ‘Resgatando Vidas’ used their access to the State Central Penitentiary (PCE) in Cuiabá to facilitate criminal activities.

Investigations revealed that the group’s spiritual assistance served as a facade for acting as a logistical and financial link between prison-based leaders of a major criminal faction and associates on the outside. Evidence from digital communications, including WhatsApp and iCloud data, indicates that the missionaries coordinated strategic messages, managed intimate visits, and participated in a ‘sexual rotation’ involving different inmates.

The operation highlights a growing trend of criminal organizations infiltrating civil society organizations and religious entities to maintain influence, manage cash flow, and bypass prison security. Authorities are now emphasizing the need for stricter registration of NGOs within maximum-security facilities and improved signal blocking technology.