Chinese Mafias in Brazil: A Security Issue
Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
The Chinese mafia has been operating in São Paulo, Brazil, for over a decade. Initially, its primary sources of income were kidnappings and extortion. A clear example of this is the case of Xin Mo, a 19-year-old Chinese man abducted on Barão Ladrão Street, where he was subjected to violence while his family was forced to pay 300,000 reais for his release. Another case is that of Yi Chen, a merchant kidnapped in December 2024, whose captors demanded 20,000 reais and merchandise in exchange for his freedom, threatening to kill him if the payment was not made.
However, in recent years, this criminal organization has expanded its operations beyond kidnapping and extortion, diversifying its sources of income through drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and theft. As a result, it has infiltrated neighborhoods that previously had low crime rates.
Furthermore, reports indicate that the Chinese mafia in São Paulo has ties to the Brazilian criminal organization Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and fintech companies in Faria Lima. It also collaborates with Chinese merchants in the city to launder money and uses their businesses as fronts for clandestine shooting ranges.
One notable figure in this criminal network is Bo Lin, who was sentenced to over 140 years in prison for various crimes, including the kidnapping of Xin Mo. Lin was a member of the Bitong mafia, a group led by Chinese national Liu Bitong, who was responsible for initiating extortion and kidnapping schemes targeting large, medium, and small business owners, primarily of Chinese descent. Liu Bitong was eventually captured by Brazilian authorities and sentenced for his criminal activities.
According to a Metrópoles report, prosecutor Carlos Henrique Prestes, who investigated the Chinese mafia, revealed that the Bitong group is a faction of the Fujian-based Chinese mafia. After being pursued by Chinese authorities, its members fled to Latin America, settling in countries like Argentina and Brazil to evade capture and continue their illegal operations.
Despite the growing number of crimes linked to the Chinese mafia in São Paulo, many Chinese victims hesitate to report them, making it difficult for law enforcement and the judiciary to take action. In response, the Chinese consulate in São Paulo has urged its nationals to come forward and file complaints to facilitate an appropriate legal response.Finally, the Metrópoles report highlights the challenges faced by the Brazilian judicial system in handling criminal cases involving Chinese nationals, mainly due to language barriers and a lack of official translators. Nevertheless, despite these difficulties, five recently prosecuted Chinese citizens were sentenced to 11 years in prison, joining the 27 Chinese nationals already serving time in Itaí Penitentiary.
Main Source:
Máfia chinesa expande atuação em SP, com extorsões, tráfico e arsenal – Metropoles
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