The Public Prosecutor's Office of Rio de Janeiro announced this week the creation of the Cyber Crime Combat Center (CyberGAECO), a new structure that will act in the identification, prevention, and repression of criminal organizations that operate online and use cryptocurrencies and the dark web for the commission of crimes and money laundering.
According to MPRJ, the creation of CyberGAECO is a strategic step to strengthen institutional action against new forms of criminality and results from the investment made in technology and modernization of investigations.
"The group is receiving excellent training to operate in the area, with access to technological resources that will be available in tackling this new criminality — an advance that, without a doubt, will make a difference," said the Attorney General of Justice, Antonio José Campos Moreira.
The new group will be linked to the Special Action Group for Combating Organized Crime (GAECO/MPRJ) and will have integrated action in intelligence, investigations, legal actions, asset recovery, and national and international legal cooperation to dismantle criminal groups and achieve greater effectiveness in the repression of cybercrime.
According to Letícia Emile Alqueres Petriz, coordinator of GAECO, the new core will have its own laboratory for collection and forensic analysis to provide prosecutors, officials, and police with advanced investigation tools.
"The creation of CyberGAECO represents a decisive step in modernizing criminal prosecution strategies, as well as being an institutional response to confront the advance of illicit practices in the virtual environment, such as electronic fraud, attacks on systems, financial crimes, and illegal operations involving crypto assets," she emphasized.
For the deputy coordinator of CyberGaeco and prosecutor of Justice Marcos Davidovich, the investigation of crimes that have migrated to cyberspace requires breaking paradigms and an integrated approach that combines intelligence, investigation, and inter-institutional cooperation to effectively dismantle these criminal networks.
The core will also be responsible for establishing dialogue with public agencies and national and international private entities, gathering information and technological tools to track illicit conduct, in addition to promoting public policies and coordinated actions for the prevention of cybercrime.
Last month, MPRJ, together with the Public Ministry of Santa Catarina (MPSC), announced a partnership with the American company Chainalysis for tracking transactions on the blockchain for investigations in cases of digital financial crimes, especially those involving cryptocurrencies.
In a statement, the agencies affirmed that the objective of the partnership is to "enhance the investigative capacity of the Institutions through the temporary provision of the Reactor tool, in addition to technical support and specialized training."