Brazil’s Drug Gangs Haul In More Cash From Fuel Than Cocaine
- Study charts expansion of criminal groups into formal economy
- Illicit activities cost Brazil billions in tax revenue
Military policemen take part in an operation at the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Dec. 17, 2024.
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Brazilian drug gangs are bringing in far more money from fuel and other products than from cocaine trafficking, an expansion into formal economic sectors that has caused billions in tax losses and complicated efforts to root out organized crime.
Criminal organizations generated about 146.8 billion reais ($25.4 billion) from fuel, gold, cigarettes and beverages in 2022, compared to an estimated 15 billion reais from cocaine, according to a new study from the Brazilian Forum of Public Security that is set for release Thursday.