PF arrests two servers and removes number 3 from Abin for irregular cell phone tracking

This Friday morning (20), the Federal Police served 27 warrants in four states and the Federal District to investigate the use of GPS cell phone tracking systems from the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin). Operation Last Mile investigates the role of two servers in the scheme.

A People’s Gazette contacted Abin and is awaiting a response. The Federal Police has not commented on further details of the ongoing investigations.

According to information released by the PF, two preventive arrest warrants, 25 search and seizure warrants and other precautionary measures were carried out in São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Paraná, Goiás and the Federal District and were issued by the Federal Supreme Court.

The preventive arrest warrants were served in the Federal District, where five removal orders were also issued, according to the authority. According to an investigation by the Newspaper It’s from G1employees Rodrigo Colli and Eduardo Arthur Yzycky were arrested.

According to the media, the operation was authorized by minister Alexandre de Moraes, who also ordered the removal of Paulo Maurício Fortunato Pinto, current number 3 at Abin.

PF investigations indicate that the Abin system aimed at cell phone geolocation had been invaded repeatedly, without a court order. The two employees would have used their knowledge of these acts to coerce their managers not to be fired.

The investigation by the vehicles also points out that cell phones of journalists and politicians were irregularly monitored by the system during the government of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The agency was chaired at the time by current federal deputy Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ). Both have not yet commented on the operation.

In mid-March this year, allegations of espionage came to light and led to the announcement of a reformulation at Abin.

Still according to the investigation of the G1 and from Sheet, the system for monitoring cell phones using GPS was purchased from an Israeli company in 2018, at the end of Michel Temer’s (MDB) administration, without a bidding process, for R$5.7 million. The tool, called FirstMile, allows you to track anyone’s geolocation data via telephone devices.

The system allows the secret monitoring of up to 10,000 cell phones every twelve months.

“The actions of two Agency employees are being investigated who, due to the possibility of dismissal in a disciplinary administrative process, would have used their knowledge about the misuse of the system as a means of indirect coercion to avoid dismissal,” said the PF.

The PF states that servers can be held liable for the crimes of invading someone else’s computer device, criminal organization and interception of telephone, computer or telematics communications without judicial authorization or for purposes not authorized by law.