A medium-sized seaside hotel in Maragogi, located in Alagoas' Northern Coast, was found to be illegally drawing electricity, known as 'gato', during a police operation conducted on Tuesday, October 17. This operation, dubbed 'Operation Paradise of the Cats', involved the local Civil Police, Scientific Police, and the electricity provider Equatorial Energia, who discovered the irregular energy supply of the hotel.

During the operation, a formal complaint was filed and the hotel's manager was taken to the 92nd Civil Police Station in Maragogi, where he was arrested for the crime of energy theft. According to a technical assessment by Equatorial, the energy bypass led to an estimated loss of around 18,000 kWh per month, a quantity sufficient to supply approximately 120 households in the same timeframe.

The incident raises concerns regarding illegal energy connections and the associated risks, not only in terms of financial losses for the electricity company but also public safety. Efforts like the Operation 'Paradise of the Cats' highlight the importance of monitoring and enforcing legal standards in energy distribution to prevent such incidents in the future, promoting fairness and safety for all consumers in the region.