"Known for arrests in protests in Brazil and Ukraine, Rafael Marques Lusvarghi, 36, was arrested in Presidente Prudente (SP) with 25 kilograms of marijuana, a portion of cocaine-like substance and 350 9 mm caliber catridges.The flagrant, registered by the Military Police on Saturday night on 8 may, also had the seizure of money, passports, precision scales and a motorcycle of suspicious origin.
No lawyer came to the Civil Police Station to represent Rafael.
On a routine patrol through Vila Geni, police officers from the Ostensive Rounds with Motorcycle Support (Rocam) suspected two men who "got scared" when they saw the PM team. Both were standing next to a vehicle and were approached. Nothing illicit was found.
One of them gave mismatched data about his identification, but later he said he was Rafael Marques Lusvarghi, a native of Jundiaí (SP). He has a long history of arrests, including in Kiev, Ukraine, on charges of terrorism.
With disagreements during the questioning of the PM, the 25-year-old suspect ended up confessing that he was there to buy marijuana. The confronted trafficking suspect said he would sell four grams of cocaine to the boy.
After the information about drugs, the agents said that it would be necessary to check personal documents and investigate the existence of illegal substances in Rafael's home. He then confessed that he had cocaine, ammunition and a large amount of marijuana, and then handed over the property key to the police and authorized entry.
During the inspection of the house, the police located a cardboard box in one of the rooms and 33 bricks of marijuana inside it. Next to it, in a basin, film papers, zip and R $ 259.70 bags were found, in addition to 3.10 euros, a precision scale and a plastic bag containing cocaine.
Next to the door, inside another cardboard box, the PM also found a total of 350 intact cartridges of 9mm caliber ammunition.
Still in Rafael's room, a notebook, several passports, personal documents, an agenda with notes and three cell phones were apprehended. The police also seized a motorcycle.
The other approached, questioned, claimed to be a user of marijuana and went to the place as indicated by a group of friends. The 25-year-old was released.
From Kiev to Presidente Prudente
According to the police report, Rafael was asked about the reason for his stay in Presidente Prudente. He confirmed that he was arrested in Kiev, Ukraine, accused of participating in a terrorist organization, adding that he landed in Brazil about a month ago and went to the capital of Western São Paulo “looking for a job, as indicated by a friend”.
According to the record, Rafael stated that a few weeks ago, through "contacts", he agreed to keep narcotics and ammunition at home at the request of other people, supposedly unknown. The function was remunerated at R $ 3,000 per month.
With the facts, confession and apprehensions, Rafael had the arrest in flagrante delicto ratified in the Participatory Police Station of the Civil Police for drug trafficking and for the illegal possession of the ammunition. He was asked for his preventive detention, granted by the Justice, this Sunday (9).
According to the Civil Police, after undergoing forensics, the product that would be cocaine "was not identified". However, the presence of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was confirmed.
History of arrests
Rafael became publicly known on June 12, 2014 when he was arrested at the protest against the 2014 World Cup in São Paulo (SP). At that time, he faced the Military Police without a shirt and was shot by a rubber bullet. Then, when he was restrained by several policemen, he took a jet of pepper spray on his face.
Accused of being a fan of the black bloc tactic (which consists of destroying public assets to protest), Rafael was 45 days in prison. The São Paulo Justice, however, absolved him of the charges of incitement to crime, criminal association, resistance, disobedience and possession of explosive material.
After being released in September 2014, Rafael traveled to Ukraine. He was the first Brazilian to join separatist troops. Another 12 Brazilians would follow later. While he was fighting in the separatist forces, he was wounded.
In Ukraine, from September 2014 to October 2015, the Brazilian man fought against the Ukrainian army alongside rebel military troops who wanted political independence from two territories in the country. They intended to create the Donetsk People's Republic (RPD) and the People's Republic of Lugansk (RPL).
As this did not happen, the ex-combatant returned to Brazil after the ceasefire. Then, however, he accepted a job offer as security for Ukrainian ships in Cyprus, a country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
However, on landing on October 6, 2016 at the Kiev-Borispol International Airport in Ukraine, Rafael was arrested by the Ukrainian secret service, accused of being a terrorist. His arrest was filmed and publicized on social media.
Rafael considered that his arrest was an ambush.
At the time, under Ukrainian law, the fact that the Brazilian fought against Ukraine characterized terrorism and he was accused by the local police of being a "mercenary" and a "professional assassin".
He was detained for more than a year on charges of terrorism for fighting the Ukrainian Army alongside rebel military troops until he was given provisional release. On the occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brazil confirmed to G1, by means of a note, that the paulista left the prison on December 18, 2017.
Rafael has always denied the crime.
On January 25, 2017, the Brazilian was tried in Ukraine for the first time for terrorism. At that time, he had been sentenced to 13 years in prison for the crime.
Rafael's defense, however, appealed, alleging that there were a series of irregularities in the process, such as the lack of translation into Portuguese and even allegations that he was tortured to confess to a crime he denies having committed.
The Ukrainian court then decided to set aside that judgment and, consequently, the sentence. On November 14, 2017, a Ukrainian court ordered a retrial and just over a month later, the Brazilian was released. He left prison and decided to go alone to the Brazilian Embassy in Kiev.
G1 was unable to locate representatives of the Ukrainian Consulate in São Paulo for comment. The report also did not find Rafael's lawyers in Brazil and Ukraine to handle the case.
Profile
The eldest of four brothers born in a family of Hungarian origin and middle class, Rafael is from Jundiaí. The teacher mother is separated from the father, a businessman in Minas Gerais. As a teenager, he took an agronomy technician course.
At 18, Rafael enlisted in the Foreign Legion, in France, where he served for three years. On his return to Brazil, he was a soldier in the Military Police of São Paulo, between 2006 and 2007. Then he tried to become an officer in the PM in Pará, but he left in 2009.
In 2010, he went to Russia to study medicine. He tried to join the Russian army, but failed and returned to South America. He claimed to have entered Colombian territory, where he joined the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Displeased, he returned to Brazil. He started teaching English and working at a computer company in Indaiatuba, in the interior of São Paulo. But after being arrested by the PM in June 2014 during anti-World Cup acts, he lost his jobs."
Source: G1 News (In Portuguese)
I'm surprised I didn't heard of his case before. I always find mercenaries interesting, though I didn't know one of my country. He has a English Wikipedia article, though I consider the Portuguese one better, since it contains more information.
English Wikipedia page: Rafael Lusvarghi
Edit: removed stray emoji
Subject: Brazilian accused of terrorism in Ukraine arrested with drugs in Brazil 
Tue May 11, 2021 12:01 am