Brazil's police disband corruption network linked to deceased presidential candidate

Brazil's police disbanded on Tuesday a corruption network accused of money laundering and financing the presidential campaign of Eduardo Campos, who died in a plane accident during the electoral process in 2014.

Through a press release, the Federal Police said, the aim of "Operation Turbulence" was to fulfill 60 court orders: 33 search and seizure warrants, 22 for coercive conduct and five prison orders. Four of the prison orders were already executed with two in Sao Paulo, Brazil's financial center, and another two in Recife, capital of the northeastern state of Pernambuco.

Over 200 federal agents participated in the operation, which has helped to disband a network that allegedly laundered 600 million reais (around 176.4 million U.S. dollars) and then used the money to finance Campos' electoral campaign.

According to the police, there is a direct relation between the gang and the purchase of the Cessna plane that crashed in Santos airport in August 2014, where the presidential candidate for the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) died along with another six people that were travelling with him.

Tuesday's operation was linked with Operation Car Wash, which is investigating a gigantic corruption network within the government-owned oil company Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras).

Several informants from the case have already mentioned Campos, who was the governor of Pernambuco at the time, as one of the politicians who allegedly benefited from the plot.

The people arrested Tuesday will be accused of crimes such as criminal association, money laundering and ideological falsehood.

During the operation, boats, planes, helicopters were also confiscated and the bank accounts of suspects were blocked. Enditem