The Judiciary Police, through the Department of Criminal Investigation of Funchal, with the collaboration of other units of the PJ, as part of an investigation conducted by the DIAP of Funchal, today conducted Operation “Pegasus”. This involved investigations for crimes of qualified fraud, forgery, tax fraud and money laundering.

The operation consisted of a number of domiciliary and non-domiciliary searches in Funchal, and a large number of evidentiary material were seized, including accounting documentation, devices and computer data, as well as cash.

Two individuals, responsible for a travel agency, were arrested, suspected of having falsely received documents and fictitious billing, and were able to receive improper travel reimbursements under the social mobility allowance in force in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. This caused losses to the public treasury, amounting to several hundred thousand euros.

This value, provisionally fixed by the investigation so far, following the evidence collected, will increase substantially.

During this operation, three more official suspected were made, suspected of involvement in this criminal activity.

The detainees, aged 46 and 28, will be present at the first judicial interrogation to apply the coercion measures considered appropriate.