Brazil’s Federal Police have arrested the former Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral (pictured), and nine other people on allegations of corruption relating to public works carried out in the state, such as the redevelopment related to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympics. The huge investigation, named Operação Calicute, involved 230 federal prosecutors as well as 19 regional prosecutors to complete 38 search and seizure warrants, eight arrest warrants and two temporary arrest warrants.

‘The ongoing investigation identified strong indications of the creation of cartels relating to large projects executed using federal resources through payment of bribes to state agents’, read a Police statement, which estimated the fraud at R$220 million (€59.5 million) ‘The times of belonging to a criminal organisation, passive corruption, active corruption, money laundering and others are being investigated’.