Judge Upholds Detention of Newly Appointed São Paulo Police Delegate Probed for PCC Links
A judge kept Layla Lima Ayub in 30-day temporary custody pending an investigation into suspected ties to the criminal faction.
Overview
- Layla Lima Ayub was arrested with her partner, Jardel “Dedel” Pereira da Cruz, in Operation Serpens and remains in temporary detention after a custody hearing in São Paulo.
- Prosecutors and the police corregedoria list suspected offenses including irregular exercise of the profession, participation in a criminal organization, falsification of documents and association for drug trafficking, with a money-laundering inquiry underway.
- Investigators are examining a planned purchase of a bakery in São Paulo that authorities say could be used to launder funds; during questioning, Ayub denied laundering but acknowledged knowing a PCC intermediary would front the business.
- Records show Ayub recently acted as a criminal defense lawyer in Pará and visited numerous PCC inmates, at times without power of attorney, and she told investigators she “made a mistake” by appearing at a custody hearing days after her police appointment.
- Ayub admitted a romantic relationship with Jardel, identified as a PCC leader in Pará who was on conditional release, and state officials say other recent police-delegate candidates are being monitored as inquiries continue.