Influencer suspected of taking over Italian mafia drug trafficking
Paula Simões, a digital influencer, is suspected of taking over part of the international cocaine trafficking operations of an organization linked to the Italian mafia 'Ndrangheta. Investigations indicate she received authorization from her imprisoned husband to represent the group's interests in Brazil.
A digital influencer is suspected of taking over part of the international cocaine trafficking operations of an organization linked to the Italian mafia 'Ndrangheta. Paula Simões, who appeared on social networks as a creator of content about fashion, beauty and personal routine, would have received authorization from her husband, arrested in 2019, to represent the interests of the criminal group in Brazil.
Paula’s husband, Patrick Assisi, and her father-in-law, Nicola Assisi, were arrested in July 2019 in Praia Grande, on the coast of São Paulo. The two are identified by the authorities as members of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal organization originating in Calabria, southern Italy. At the time, Paula had about 30,000 Instagram followers.
The Port of Paranaguá
According to the investigation, the mafiosi used the Port of Paranaguá, at Paraná, to send cocaine to Europe. The drug was hidden in containers of companies that had no participation in the scheme and presented low risk in the inspections. The method made it difficult for port authorities to detect it.
After the arrests, Paula would have received permission from her husband to represent the organization’s interests in Brazil. The lawyer Patrick Cardoso, through the reserved contact he had with the prisoners, is suspected of transmitting orders and guidelines on the operation of the scheme. The information is contained in materials presented by the program "Fantastic", of the TV Globo.
Bills guided debt collections
Among the materials presented are photographs of tickets sent by the mafiosi from inside the prison. In one of the messages, Patrick Assisi advises his wife to collect debts and recover values from people connected to the organization. Tickets were seized during Operation Eredità in 2019.
The Italian newspaper Corriere della Calabria published details of messages analyzed by the Italian authorities on 18 September. According to the newspaper, the influencer was identified by the nicknames of "Chanel" and "Maria" in conversations about drug trafficking. The report reinforces the suspicion that Paula had an active role in the group’s communication.
Lawyer appointed as intermediary
In another report, published on September 22, the newspaper detailed the performance attributed to lawyer Patrick Cardoso. Investigations show that he brokered collections and payments, as well as transmitting guidance from Paula’s husband to the members of the organization. The lawyer's cell phone also contained photographs of him with drugs and large amounts of cash.
The Federal Police also suspect that Cardoso used professional activity to maintain criminal relationships with members of the Red Command. Patrick Cardoso’s defense stated that the lawyer has always acted within the limits of the law throughout 25 years of professional practice.
Another investigator used the nickname 'BXX'
Another investigator is Franklin Rodrigues de Oliveira, identified in the conversations by the nickname "BXX". According to police, he was already active in the organization before the arrests of Nicola and Patrick Assisi and was responsible for drug shipments and financial movements. Franklin's lawyers have said they will not comment on the charges against the client and intend to prove his innocence to the courts.
According to the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF), the organization maintained contacts, suppliers and transport channels after the 2019 arrests. The investigations associate the criminal structure with 11 seizures totalling more than 4.6 tons of cocaine. The quantity demonstrates the size of the scheme investigated.
Investigations are ongoing
Operation Eredità, launched in 2019, resulted in seizures made by the Federal Road Police (PRF). The authorities continue to analyze materials and testimonies to clarify the role of each involved. The source did not detail whether Paula Simões was formally indicted or if there is an arrest warrant against her.
The case is under investigation and could lead to further developments. For more information on public safety and police operations, continue to follow the Boca no Trombone Portal.
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