The Chief of the First Command of the capital, the largest criminal gang in Brazil, has been transferred to a maximum security prison

Marcos Williams Herbas Camacho, Chief of First Capital Command (PCC), known as "Marcola", and 21 other members of the largest criminal group in Brazil were transferred Wednesday to a federal maximum security prison as part of a plan to keep them isolated, local authorities said.

Incarcerated since 1999, Marcola was transferred with 21 other CCP members into an air force plane from the state of São Paulo (southeast) into one of the three federal prisons in the country (in the states of Brasilia and Rio Grande do Norte). and Rondonia), although the authorities have not revealed their final destination.

"The isolation of leaders is the strategy adopted by the federal government and the government of San Pablo to fight and dismantle criminal organizations"Said the governor Joao Doriaafter the departure of prisoners from Presidente Venceslau Prison, located in the municipality of the same name, within that State.

According to the Brazilian press, citing intelligence information, the transfer was decided after discovering a robbery plan of the maximum criminal leader of this powerful group, which has expanded its criminal operations and drug trafficking in the country.

The permanence of the inmates in the federal system will last one year, the first 60 days under "differentiated penitentiary system", which implies isolation.

In the 50-day "minutely planned" mega-operation, the Military Police (MP), the civilian police and the Federal Police (PM) participated, as well as the army, among other institutions, Doria explained.

Earlier, the prosecution had informed that the San Pablo justice had made the decision after accepting a request made on November 28, 2018.

The judge of the 5th Criminal Court of San Pablo, Paulo Sorci, who approved the measure, had already asked late last year that seven CCP leaders, including "Marcola" – be separated from the prisons where they continued to direct their criminal operations and drug trafficking.

These seven major prisoners of the CCP are among the 22 people transferred Wednesday.

The other 15 detainees were reportedly transferred for taking part in a "Marcola" evacuation plan and death threats against the head of the fight against this criminal group, said the media.

Press reports indicate that the transfer of "Marcola" was delayed due to fears of reprisals by the CCP against the measureAs was the case in 2006, the organization mutinied in fifty prisons in the state of Sao Paulo and attacked police and prison officers in several cities by refusing to transfer more than 700 prisoners.

Other criminal groups have joined these violent episodes, which have killed hundreds of people and even paralyzed the city of Sao Paulo.