Authorities in Brazil are investigating the recent fires that ravaged sugarcane fields in Sao Paulo state, with the organized crime gang Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) emerging as a prime suspect. Some of the individuals arrested in connection with the fires claimed ties to PCC and stated that the arson was a retaliation against government anti-crime measures targeting the illegal fuel trade.
The fires, which ignited last week, rapidly spread across parched fields during the peak of the dry season, destroying thousands of hectares of sugarcane plantations and causing significant environmental and economic damage. State Agriculture Secretary Guilherme Piai noted that the simultaneous ignition of fires at multiple locations suggested deliberate action rather than accidental fires.
The PCC, established in 1993, has evolved from drug trafficking to becoming Brazil’s most powerful criminal organization. The group has reportedly acquired bankrupt fuel plants and gas stations, indicating its deep entrenchment in the fuel trade.
The fires have resulted in over 2,100 incidents, burning approximately 59,000 hectares (146,000 acres) of sugarcane and regrowth areas, leading to estimated losses of 350 million reais ($63.59 million), according to the Organization of Cane Producers Associations (Orplana). State Governor Tarcisio de Freitas has projected overall losses exceeding 1 billion reais.
While four men have been arrested for attempting to set the fields ablaze with gasoline, federal prosecutor Luis Fernando Rocha stated that there is currently insufficient evidence to confirm that the fires were part of an organized crime operation, although he acknowledged the criminal nature of the acts.