Police arrest company owners for receiving PV panels  

A Civil police of the State of Ceará (PC-CE) arrested a group of criminals interstate that there was diverted one charge of photovoltaic panels worth R$600 thousand. The men were owners of a company in the solar energy sector e sons of the vice-mayor of the city of Juru (PB).

A Operação – titled “Solar” began investigations in early August, after the corporation was notified, through police reports, about thefts and diversion of cargo that were taking place in some cities in Ceará and other states. 

Based on police surveys, the corporation found that all the crimes cited by the victims had the same “modus operandi”. However, the police identified that the records about the crimes were, in fact, part of a criminal scheme to try to hinder the investigations.

In all, three red-handed arrests were made between the months of August and the beginning of September. The Ceará Civil Police also carried out another 14 home search and seizure warrants, a preventive arrest warrant and a temporary arrest warrant. 

How did the operation go?

On July 27th, a load of solar panels valued at R$600 left the Ceará destined to Bethlehem (SHOVEL). In the middle of the journey, the equipment was diverted and the police report was only made by the driver of the truck transporting the plates three days after the incident. 

Based on this information, the civil police were able to identify the participation of a man, who would be responsible for intermediating contact between receivers and the drivers responsible for diverting the loads. 

With the identification of the subject and the execution of his arrest warrant, on August 25, investigations continued with the aim of locating the others involved in the crime. 

It was then that civil police officers identified three more people involved in the reception of cargo, as well as in the sale of stolen products. The targets – three sons of the vice-mayor of the city of Juru (PB) – owned a solar energy company located in Paraíba, where they sold photovoltaic panels.

They were arrested red-handed on August 31st with great part of the stolen cargo (161 panels) and charged with the crime of receiving possession and also for illegal possession of a firearm. Ammunition and more than R$60 in cash were also found with them.  

At the beginning of September, another 500 solar panels, which were hidden in a warehouse on the banks of Highway PB-073, were also found by civil police officers in Ceará, with support from the Civil Police of the State of Paraíba (PCPB).

According to authorities, the total of 661 panels recovered in the operation corresponds to just over 90% of the cargo diverted by criminals. “Investigations remain focused on arresting everyone involved in this criminal scheme”, highlights the Ceará Civil Police.