August 11, 2026
Reading time • 5 min
Illegal liquor factory uncovered by the São José do Rio Pardo Military Police
The Military Police’s decisive action in the Santa Luzia neighborhood was part of a Civil Police operation, which had arrested a suspect earlier that morning for counterfeiting alcoholic beverages; the arrested man was released the following day at a custody hearing.
The Military Police played a decisive and exclusive role in locating the clandestine factory used for the adulteration and counterfeiting of alcoholic beverages in São José do Rio Pardo. The incident was reported last Thursday (6) at a farm in the Santa Luzia neighborhood.
Contrary to reports published in some media outlets and the press, the discovery of the production site occurred after the Military Police Operations Center (COPOM) was alerted. The local Military Police team was dispatched to the address and, upon investigating the tip, found the facility: a vast quantity of bottles of counterfeit beverages, raw materials, and the machinery where the product was actively being produced.
According to Civil Police Chief Guilherme de Gomes Filho, the criminal group operated in an organized manner, dividing roles among the locations—using the farm discovered by the Military Police for clandestine distillation, while other sites uncovered by the Civil Police served as warehouses and offices.
With the support of the Health Surveillance Agency and experts from the Brazilian Beverage Association, the fraud was confirmed. The investigation indicates that the products were distributed in São José do Rio Pardo, in cities throughout the region, and in other states, including through a front company.
Released by the Justice Department
The man arrested in the act during the operation appeared at a custody hearing the following day and was released to stand trial while remaining free. Investigations are continuing to locate a second suspect, who remains at large.
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